At the FIFA congress, the President of the Palestinian Football Federation, Jibouri Rajab, refused to take a picture and shake hands with the representative of Israel.
In the 76th Congress of FIFA, when the President of the Palestinian Football Federation, Jibouri Rajab, did not agree to appear on the stage with the Deputy President of the Israeli Football Federation, Bassem Sheikh Suleiman, a conflict arose.
The incident happened when FIFA president Gianni Infantino invited the two to join him.
According to reports, Infantino beckoned Rajab to come closer and tried to shake his hand, but he stayed on his feet.
The President of PFA, Mr. Jibril Rajoub, despite the insistence of the FIFA President, refuses to shake hands with the representative of the Israel Football Federation.
Al-Leght Jibouri Al-Jub refuses to shake the hands of the representative of the Israeli Federation despite the request of the FIFA president.
We have the right to play football freely like all nations… pic.twitter.com/uAWd41IPkY
– Palestine Football Association (@Palestine_fa) April 30, 2026
Palestinian Football Union vice president Susan Shelby said that Racoub made it clear that he could not shake hands with such a person.
Later in the speech, Infantino asked both parties to work together.
However, Shalbi called the move inappropriate, saying that Rajub’s speech was meant to emphasize law and justice, which was ignored.
He recalled that the Palestinian Football Association had recently applied to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and measures were taken against Israeli clubs located in the West Bank.
