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FIFA said it would take no action against Israeli football clubs accused by the Palestine Football Association (PFA) of competing while allegedly based in \u200bPalestinian territory, and on Thursday separately sanctioned the Israel Football Association (IFA) over breaches \u200cof its anti\u2011discrimination and fair\u2011play rules.<\/strong><\/p>\n The decisions followed a FIFA Council meeting that addressed two issues stemming from a proposal submitted by the PFA at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May 2024.<\/p>\n On the \u200bquestion of Israeli clubs based in settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Council \u200badopted conclusions from FIFA\u2019s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC), which had been \u2060asked to examine whether such clubs should be allowed to play in competitions organised by \u200bthe IFA.<\/p>\n FIFA said no action should be taken, citing the unresolved legal status of the \u200bWest Bank under public international law.<\/p>\n \u201cFIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains \u200ban unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law,\u201d the governing body said in \u200ba statement.<\/p>\n The participation of Israeli settlement clubs has been a recurring source of tension within FIFA for nearly \u200ca \u2060decade. The PFA has long argued that clubs based in settlements in the West Bank \u2013 territory Palestinians seek as part of a future state \u2013 should not compete in leagues run by the IFA.<\/p>\n In a separate disciplinary decision issued late on Thursday, FIFA sanctioned the IFA for \u200bwhat it described as \u200bsystemic breaches of its \u2060anti\u2011discrimination and fair\u2011play statutes, following an investigation into the association\u2019s handling of racism in Israeli football.<\/p>\n FIFA\u2019s Disciplinary Committee said the IFA had failed \u200bto take adequate action against persistent racist behaviour by supporters of \u200bcertain clubs, \u2060notably Beitar Jerusalem, and had not responded sufficiently to inflammatory and politicised public statements by football officials and clubs under its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n As part of the sanctions, the IFA was fined 150,000 Swiss \u2060francs ($190,621) and \u200bordered to implement a mandatory prevention plan to combat \u200bdiscrimination, including educational campaigns and monitoring measures. The association must also display anti\u2011discrimination banners at its next three A\u2011level \u200bFIFA competition home matches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n