Palestinian football body appeals to sports court over FIFA Israel ruling

VANCOUVER, April 28 : The Palestinian Football Association has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA's decision not to sanction Israel over clubs based in West Bank settlements, a senior PFA official said on Tuesday, as visa issues affecting several delegations added to tensions ahead of the FIFA Congress.

The PFA has long argued that clubs based in settlements in the West Bank – territory Palestinians seek as part of a future state – should not compete in leagues run by the Israel Football Association (IFA).

FIFA said last month it would take no action against the IFA or Israeli clubs, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law.

"Since we have exhausted every legal venue possible at FIFA, we'll still go by the rules, go by the book, and we'll appeal that decision because we think it's very unjust," PFA vice president Susan Shalabi said after the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Vancouver, held two days before the FIFA Congress in the same city.

"The (FIFA) council decided after 15 years of deliberations on this issue not to decide. So the only course of action that we have is to go to CAS and to appeal that. We will go through the whole process until we are able to achieve justice."

She later told Reuters that the appeal had been filed on April 20.

CAS has not yet announced the appeal and was not immediately available for comment outside business hours on Tuesday. FIFA was also not immediately available for comment. Reuters has also contacted the IFA.

VISA PROBLEMS

Shalabi said visa problems also prevented some of the PFA's representatives from entering Canada for the FIFA Congress.

She said she received an electronic travel authorisation immediately because