ZURICH (AP) — FIFA says six players and officials from visiting Arab teams still require Israeli permission to attend a youth soccer tournament hosted by the Palestine Football Association.
PFA President Jibril Rajoub asked FIFA to suspend Israel over the issue on Thursday. The tournament, organized by the West Asian Football Federation and held in the West Bank, includes the Under-16 teams of Palestine, Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
FIFA asked the Israel Football Association for its “good offices,” sending a list of 29 people who didn’t have authorization to attend. It says six still haven’t been cleared.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has invited Rajoub and Israel soccer federation head Avi Luzon to a September meeting in Zurich to address travel restrictions.
Blatter says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised help at a recent meeting.
