Palestinian FA President refuses handshake with Israeli counterpart, citing ‘fascist and racist’ government

Jibril Rajoub, the long-serving president of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), has publicly refused to shake hands with the head of the Israel Football Association (IFA), Basim Sheikh Suliman, in a sharply worded rejection of any sporting cooperation with the Israeli government.

“How can I shake hands with someone who represents a fascist and racist government and defends its policies?” Rajoub said in remarks that have ratcheted up tensions between the two football bodies.

The Palestinian official, a prominent figure in both Palestinian sports and politics, did not spare his Israeli counterpart from criticism, arguing that Suliman lacked the moral standing for mutual collaboration.

“I do not believe I should shake his hand, nor do I see him as qualified to cooperate with me or be my partner,” Rajoub added.

The comments underscore the deep politicization of sports — a field often touted as a neutral ground for dialogue — amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rajoub, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, has long used his platform at FIFA to push for sanctions against Israeli clubs and policies, particularly those located in West Bank settlements.

The IFA has not yet issued an official response to Rajoub’s latest remarks. Sheikh Suliman, an Arab-Israeli lawyer, was elected president of the IFA in 2022 and has previously expressed openness to normalization and cooperation with neighboring football associations.

Previous attempts by FIFA to broker a peace-building dialogue between the two federations have made little headway, with Rajoub consistently refusing symbolic gestures of normalization while what he describes as Israeli occupation continues.

The refusal to shake hands — a routine expression of sportsmanship in international football — has become an increasingly charged gesture in recent years, with Rajoub’s latest statement signaling that no breakthrough in sporting relations is imminent.