NORWEGIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION President Lise Klaveness has demanded Israel’s suspension from international football before an expected UEFA vote this week.
Norway will host Israel in Oslo on October 11 for a World Cup qualifier where a Norwegian victory would nearly guarantee qualification for next year’s finals.
Klaveness serves on UEFA’s executive committee and rejected a unilateral boycott while advocating for sanctions against Israel.
She explained her position on the Norwegian podcast Pop and Politics by stating a boycott would only help Israel qualify instead of Norway.
Klaveness emphasised her principled stance that Israel deserves sanctions for rule violations similar to Russia’s exclusion.
She personally believes Israel should face the same suspension as Russia while acknowledging her role permits personal opinions.
UEFA will conduct an emergency vote this week regarding Israel’s potential suspension from European competitions.
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry recently reported findings that Israel committed genocide during the Gaza war.
Israel strongly denied these genocide allegations and condemned the report as scandalous.
Klaveness described the difficulty of competing against a country associated with genocide due to national symbols like flags and anthems.
Israel insists its military actions target Hamas militants rather than Gaza’s population following the October 7 attacks.
Israeli officials report Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and captured 251 hostages during the October 2023 assault.
Gaza health authorities report the conflict has caused more than 66,000 Palestinian deaths.
Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has also requested FIFA and UEFA ban Israel from international football. – Reuters
