UEFA Set to Treat Israel, the Victim, Like Russia, the Aggressor

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is expected to vote to suspend Israel next week, citing the example of Russia — even though Russia is the aggressor in an invasion, and Israel has been the victim.

Israel’s main offense appears to have been that it survived and went on the counterattack against the Hamas terrorists who invaded Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, murdering 1200 people, most of them civilians.

The Times of Israel reported Thursday:

Amid reports that UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, will vote next week in favor of suspending Israel, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar says he is working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the chair of the Israel Football Association, Moshe Zuares, to prevent the move.

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The Times newspaper reports that those in favor of suspending Israel from the body have cited the ban imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as reason to support the move.

Russia invaded Ukraine without a legitimate cause in February 2022. The resulting war has killed hundreds of thousands — and that is just counting the military casualties. Russia has also attacked Ukrainian civilians.

The move would likely bar Israel from competing in the qualifying rounds for the World Cup in 2026.

The U.S. is hosting the World Cup, and the Trump administration is working to prevent Israel from being excluded. Israel rarely makes the tournament anyway, because it faces European, not Middle Eastern, teams in qualifying.