Football Field Becomes Diplomatic Arena For Israelis, Palestinians

The football pitch "has become the latest diplomatic battlefield in the Middle East, as Palestinian officials campaign to get the sport’s governing body FIFA to suspend Israel from international competitions," according to Ben-David & Hodali of BLOOMBERG. The Palestinians say that Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement "hamper training and matches, while players and personnel have been physically attacked by Israeli soldiers." Israel counters that the Palestinians are trying to politicize the football arena "as part of a broader diplomatic campaign to isolate the Jewish state internationally, after the latest peace talks between the sides collapsed a year ago." FIFA President Sepp Blatter is scheduled to meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Blatter "has rejected calls for Israel’s suspension while asking it to ease some travel restrictions on Palestinians" (BLOOMBERG, 5/18).