Human Rights Watch announced that a United Nations resolution condemning settlements has "raised pressure on FIFA to take action against Israeli football clubs based in the occupied West Bank," according to the AFP. The UN Security Council last week "demanded an end to Israeli settlements in the first such resolution in decades." Six football clubs are based in settlements in the West Bank but play in the Israeli leagues, "in what rights groups argue is a violation of international law." HRW Israel Advocacy Dir Sari Bashi said, "The UN resolution makes it much more difficult for FIFA to pretend that allowing Israel to hold games in the settlements is neutral or acceptable. The resolution clearly says that the settlements have no validity." FIFA had been "due to rule on the future of the six clubs in October but instead delayed its decision until the next meeting," due to take place Jan. 9-10 (AFP, 12/29).
CAUGHT UP: In Hong Kong, Chan Kin-wa reported more than 50 young players in the Hong Kong football leagues "have been caught up" in a FIFA-enforced rule regarding the recruitment of minors. In an "unprecedented move, the Hong Kong FA deregistered 49 players aged under 13, and up to 18, who are without a Hong Kong passport and playing in the Jockey Club Youth League, along with a handful from the elite Premier League." An HKFA spokesperson said that it was acting on a directive from football’s world governing body "relating to a rule on international transfer of players and the protection of minors" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 12/30).
