{"id":8718,"date":"2026-05-01T09:13:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=8718"},"modified":"2026-05-01T09:13:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:13:18","slug":"fifa-president-tries-to-stage-israel-palestine-handshake-that-goes-all-wrong-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=8718","title":{"rendered":"Fifa president tries to stage Israel-Palestine handshake that goes all wrong | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Fifa president Gianni Infantino\u2019s attempt to orchestrate a handshake between Israel and Palestine football officials failed spectacularly in a heated moment at the Fifa Congress.<\/p>\n

Infantino invited the president of the Palestinian football federation Jibril Rajoub\u00a0to join him on stage alongside Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman in Vancouver.<\/p>\n

Both men had spoken in front of hundreds of delegates, with Suliman remaining in stage after his address.<\/p>\n

After inviting Rajoub back on stage, Infantinio called for both men to stand closer to him with Rajoub declining the photo op, making his protests known. Unperturbed, Infantino put his hand on Rajoub\u2019s arm and gestured for him to come closer again.<\/p>\n

As Suliman stood motionless, Infantino and Rajoub\u2019s conversation grew more impassioned conversation with the words largely not audible to those in the room or watching Fifa\u2019s live stream.<\/p>\n

Asked what Rajoub said when he refused, Palestinian FA Vice-President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, told\u00a0Reuters: \u2018I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and \u2060genocide. We are suffering.\u2019<\/p>\n

As the two delegates stood apart, Infantino returned to the podium alone.<\/p>\n

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Palestinian FA president Jibril Rajoub walks away from Infantino (AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Rajoub refuses to stand together with Israel Football Association Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman (AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Let me please say something,\u2019 Infantino said. \u2018Let me thank the two representatives from Israel and from Palestine, who have the same rights, duties and obligations, who are members of FIFA. We will work together, let\u2019s work together to give hope to the children, let\u2019s work together for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018We have a beautiful under-15 tournament coming up, where we will invite all 211 countries to participate, all the children of the world, let\u2019s do it for that. Let\u2019s work together, you have my commitment, you have the support of the whole room.\u2019<\/p>\n

Infantino then hugged both men separately as they left the stage.<\/p>\n

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Infantino tried to convince Rajoub to join him closer on stage (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Infantino went onto confirm his intentions to stand for re-election for a third fill term as Fifa president next year.<\/p>\n

But his attempts to orchestrate the he handshake were described as \u2018absurd\u2019.<\/p>\n

Palestinian FA Vice-President Shalabi said: \u2018To be put in a position where to \u200chave a handshake after everything that was said, this \u200cnegates the whole purpose of the speech that the general (Rajoub) was giving.<\/p>\n

\u2018He spent like 15 minutes trying to explain to everyone how the rules matter, how this could easily become a precedent where the rights of \u2060member associations are violated with impudence, and then we\u2019ll just wrap this under the carpet. It was absurd.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Fifa president tries to stage Israel-Palestine handshake that goes all wrong | Football
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#Fifa #president #stage #IsraelPalestine #handshake #wrong #Football<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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