Palestine and Israel representatives had been lined up close together at the FIFA Congress in Canada.By ReutersPublished On 30 Apr 202630 Apr 2026Palestinian football federation president Jibril Rajoub refused to stand alongside Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman in a heated moment at the 76th FIFA Congress.Both men were called to the stand by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the event on Thursday, but Rajoub declined to be brought closer to Suliman, a Palestinian citizen of Israel.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listInfantino put his hand on Rajoub’s arm and invited him with a gesture to come closer to Suliman, but in vain.Asked what Rajoub said when he refused, Palestinian FA Vice President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, told Reuters: “I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering.”Israel has denied committing genocide in Gaza.Infantino then took the stand and said: “We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino with Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestine Football association during the congress [Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]Speaking to the Reuters news agency after the congress ended, Shalabi said Infantino’s attempt to have Suliman and Rajoub shake hands showed little consideration for the Palestinian FA chief’s speech, in which he made yet another plea for Israeli clubs not to base teams in the West Bank settlements.“To be put in a position where to have a handshake after everything that was said, this negates the whole purpose of the speech that the general [Rajoub] was giving,” she said. Advertisement “He spent like 15 minutes trying to explain to everyone how the rules matter, how this coul …
