FIFA President Sepp Blatter Sketches Israeli-Palestinian Dispute Compromise

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday that Israel had "proposed easing travel restrictions for Palestinian players but the head of the Palestine FA insisted he would pursue a move to have Israel suspended from FIFA," according to Lewis & Baker of REUTERS. After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and football officials in the West Bank, Blatter said that Israel had "set out a series of measures to ease travel curbs for players, sports visitors and officials." Similar commitments have been made in the past, but Blatter said that this time Israeli officials had "said they will do it." A special escort service between Gaza and the West Bank would "allow players to cross between the two territories that are separated by Israeli territory." He added that a monitoring committee comprising an Israeli, Palestinian and FIFA official would "meet monthly to address issues and that Israel had agreed to exempt taxation on football equipment donated to the Palestinians" (REUTERS, 5/20).