Palestinian football boss refuses Israeli handshake at FIFA event
At a FIFA annual congress, the Palestinian football association president refused to shake hands with his Israeli counterpart after an invitation from FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The incident occurred during a diplomatic gesture aimed at promoting unity through sports. Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian FA, later explained his decision, citing political tensions.
- ▪FIFA President Gianni Infantino invited representatives from the Palestinian and Israeli football associations to shake hands at the annual congress.
- ▪Palestinian FA President Jibril Rajoub declined to shake hands with the Israeli FA representative.
- ▪Rajoub later justified his refusal, referencing ongoing political conflict between the two sides.
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Toggle PlayPalestinian football boss refuses Israeli handshake at FIFA eventNewsFeedPalestinian football boss refuses Israeli handshake at FIFA eventFIFA President Gianni Infantino invited representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli football associations to shake hands at FIFA’s annual congress. Later, Palestine’s FA President, Jibril Rajoub, explained his refusal to shake hands with his opposite number.Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera.
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