Palestinian Football Association calling for Israel to be booted from the World Cup

The Football Federation of Australia is staying tight-lipped ahead of a potential vote to expel Israel from the World Cup, in a move opposition leader Peter Dutton says would be “shameful”.

Australia’s peak soccer body is refusing to say how it plans to vote if a motion to expel Israel from the World Cup goes ahead in Bangkok later this week.

In April the Palestinian Football Association submitted a petition to FIFA’s Congress calling for Israel to be booted from the World Cup for its alleged human rights and humanitarian law violations in the Gaza Strip.

The motion is due to be voted on by 211 FIFA member nations which begins on Thursday but sources familiar with the situation said last minute efforts were underway to try and prevent it coming to a vote.

On Wednesday the Football Federation of Australia was tight-lipped on how it planned to vote.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson. Picture: Getty

An FFA vote to support a motion to sanction Israel would not have the support of the Australian Government.

Emotions have been running high ahead of the FIFA meeting after PFA chief Jibril Rajoub alleged earlier this week that Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz had threatened him with imprisonment if the petition was not withdrawn.

Last week former Socceroo Craig Foster released a video on X supporting Israel’s suspension.

Sources close to the FFA said it was leaning towards abstaining, a move which is likely to anger Australia’s Jewish community.

“Like with many matters which will be discussed at both the AFC and FIFA Congresses set to occur in Thailand this month, Football Australia won’t be making any public comment at this time on topics which will be discussed / voted upon at both events,” a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong that “while Football Australia makes its own decisions, the Australian Government is clear that we do not support boycotts of Israel.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said: “It would be a shameful act to expel Israel at the FIFA Congress, and Australia should exert any influence it can to ensure such an expulsion does not occur. Sport should unite us, not divide us. The Albanese Government needs to clarify the situation and show leadership and stand with our ally, Israel, against this international grandstanding and act of overt anti-Semitism.

“It would be a shameful act to expel Israel at the FIFA Congress, and Australia should exert any influence it can to ensure such an expulsion does not occur.”

Zionist Federation of Australia Jeremy Leibler said Australia should vote against any move to sanction Israel.

“It would be totally outrageous and a stain on the Federation’s record if they were to bow to the intimidatory obsessive anti-Israel campaign and expel Israel and my full expectation if Australia had any opportunity to express its view in relation to this that it would very clearly oppose any such moves,” he said.