The Palestinian Football Association’s chief legal adviser, Dr. Kat Vilarev, accused FIFA and UEFA of violating their own statutes and international human rights obligations by refusing to expel Israel from global competitions, despite what she described as “mounting genocide evidence” documented by reputable international bodies.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Vilarev – a sports law specialist leading the federation’s legal campaign for Israel’s suspension – said reports from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and FairSquare have all concluded that Israel committed grave human rights violations.
Yet, she said, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin “chose to ignore them.”
“Given the complicity of Israeli sports institutions in the Gaza genocide, FIFA and UEFA are legally bound to act,” Vilarev said. “Their statutes, human rights policies and disciplinary codes require them to align with the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. FIFA, in particular, has a legal duty to respect and protect internationally recognized human rights.”
Vilarev argued that many Israeli athletes have actively supported or participated in the assault on Gaza.
“Israeli athletes are soldiers, and some publicly call for Gaza’s destruction,” she said. “Israeli clubs and associations openly back occupation forces and even hold matches on occupied Palestinian land. That directly aids illegal settlements and the occupation.”
She said the double standards are glaring.
“FIFA and UEFA expelled Russia and Belarus over the Ukraine invasion – yet refuse to hold Israel accountable. They broke their own rules to protect Israel from consequences,” she said. “Both organizations operate without external oversight and can act however they please. Their decisions should be free from political pressure, but in reality, the powerful dictate outcomes. It’s a barbaric breach of justice.”
Vilarev said the attacks on Gaza’s football infrastructure – from destroyed stadiums to targeted athletes – highlight how “political neutrality in sports exists only on paper.”
She claimed global sport remains “deeply enmeshed in Western geopolitical interests,” pointing out that most governing bodies are backed by corporations with stakes in U.S. and Israeli defense and technology industries.
She also noted that athletes in Gaza have no legal avenue to seek redress.
“Non-state actors can’t bring cases to the International Criminal Court, and private bodies like FIFA can’t be tried there directly,” Vilarev said. “But individual leaders such as Infantino and Ceferin could still face liability if they are found to have aided crimes under ICC jurisdiction.”
The lawyer added that some Israeli settlers competing for clubs in the occupied West Bank are committing war crimes under international law. “Forcibly displaced Palestinians have seen their lands seized for settlements and football clubs built atop them. Any state can prosecute FIFA and UEFA presidents for facilitating crimes against humanity through inaction,” she said.
Vilarev urged the creation of new international mechanisms to prevent sports from becoming shields for impunity. “The contrast between how Russia and Israel have been treated exposes a moral and legal vacuum,” she said. “We need clear, enforceable regulations – not selective justice.”
