February 20 – World governing body FIFA will invest $75 million to rebuild Gaza’s infrastructure as a part of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace plans.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has yet again deepened ties with Donald Trump, committing world football’s governing body to a “true partnership” with the US president’s newly created peace initiative. On Thursday, in Washington DC, the football supremo promised that his organisation will invest around $75 million in the programme.
The partnership represents an unprecedented crossover between the world federation and the Board of Peace, a highly contentious alliance of anti-democratic forces that is seen to counter and challenge the United Nations. Infantino has already faced significant criticism within the game for his relationship with Trump, including handing out a rapidly created FIFA Peace Prize to the US President.
At the same time, FIFA has refused to suspend Israel from the international game over the war in Gaza and yet it appears they will still receive their FIFA grants to rebuild much of the pitch infrastructure deliberately destroyed by their army with the tacit support of the Israeli FA.
For years, the world governing body has also ignored the issue of Israeli clubs playing in the West Bank. At the last FIFA Congress in Paraguay, FIFA yet again refused a call from the Palestinian FA to act, taking the decision-making away from FIFA’s to what FIFA general secretary Matthias Grafstrom said was a more ‘competent’ executive led committee.
The world governing body presented the new initiative as a comprehensive recovery programme for Gaza, Palestine, combining infrastructure, education and elite development, one that will include 50 Arena mini-pitches, full-size pitches, a FIFA Academy and a 20,000-seat national stadium planned.
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino defended the partnership. He said: “We don’t have to just rebuild houses or schools or hospitals or roads. We also have to rebuild and build people, emotion, hope and trust. And this is what football, my sport, is about.” Cynics would ask where he and his sport were when facilities were being destroyed and people and thousands of footballers were being massacred by Israel’s armed assault.
FIFA and Infantino’s presence at the Board of Peace also renews questions about political neutrality and FIFA’s overt wooing and support for Trump’s national agenda.
Article 15 of the FIFA Ethics Code requires political neutrality from FIFA officials. It states that: “In dealings with government institutions, national and international organisations, associations and groupings, persons bound by this Code shall, in addition to observing the basic rules of article 14, remain politically neutral, in accordance with the principles and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs, and generally act in a manner compatible with their function and integrity.”
Last December, NGO FairSquare filed an ethics complaint at FIFA over Infantino’s repeated breaches of political neutrality rules.
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