Palestine FA Chief Refuses Handshake with Israeli Counterpart on Stage at FIFA Congress — Drops Suspension Demand at Last Minute

Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands with his Israeli counterpart on stage in front of all 211 FIFA member association delegates at the Vancouver Congress on May 1, creating one of the most visible diplomatic confrontations in FIFA Congress history. Rajoub had previously called for Israel's suspension from FIFA but withdrew the demand at the last minute under pressure from member associations who warned it lacked the votes to pass. Instead, the PFA proposed a monitoring mechanism for Palestinian players and equipment — a compromise that critics described as far weaker than the suspension motion the PFA had been pursuing since October 2023. The PFA is separately pursuing an appeal of FIFA's March 2026 ruling — which imposed a ~$191,000 fine on the Israel Football Association rather than suspension — to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Rajoub had additionally been denied a Canadian visa ahead of the Congress (as had the Palestinian FA's Palestinian leadership); Rajoub himself ultimately attended, but other Palestinian football officials could not. The confrontation came days after three Palestinian Football Association officials had been denied Canadian visas.