Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness has called for Israel to be suspended from international football ahead of a crucial UEFA vote expected later this week regarding the country’s participation in European competitions.
Klaveness, who also sits on UEFA’s executive committee, emphasised that while Norway will not independently boycott their upcoming fixture against Israel, she supports collective sanctions. The two teams are set to meet on 11 October in Oslo for a World Cup qualifier, where a win for Norway would almost guarantee their place in next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“I work on the issue from a principled standpoint, but we will not boycott on our own. A boycott would only result in Israel going to the World Cup instead of us,” Klaveness said on the Norwegian podcast Pop and Politics.
“In general, we are now working for Israel to be sanctioned. We believe that they should be, and this is about upholding the rules,” she continued. “Personally, I believe that since Russia is out, Israel should also be out. As a football president you can have personal opinions, and I certainly have mine.”
UEFA is reportedly preparing to hold an emergency vote this week on whether to suspend Israel from European football. This follows a report released this month by a United Nations Commission of Inquiry, which concluded that Israel has committed acts of genocide during its ongoing war in Gaza. Israel has rejected the findings, calling the report “scandalous” and maintaining that its military operations are aimed at Hamas, not the civilian population.
“It is, first of all, incredibly difficult to play against a country where the word genocide is involved, because after all, it is still their flag and national anthem that are present,” Klaveness said.
According to Israeli tallies, the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 251 hostages. In response, the war in Gaza has led to the deaths of over 66,000 people, according to local health officials.
Meanwhile, Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has reportedly written to FIFA, UEFA and other national football associations, urging a ban on Israel from all international competitions.
