Thursday, November 13, 2025 - Premier League players are among more than 70 sportspeople to sign a letter demanding UEFA suspend Israel from international competition.
The group called Athletes 4 Peace is putting
pressure on the European football's governing body to set aside the recent
ceasefire and ban Israel.
In September, a United Nations commission of
inquiry concluded that the country has committed genocide
against Palestine in Gaza.
Athletes 4 Peace provided the letter to President Aleksander
Ceferin saying the group is 'deeply disturbed by the lack of moral action taken
by UEFA regarding the suspension of Israel from European football'.
Crystal Palace’s Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are among
other higher profile names on the list, with ex-England cricket star Ali and
former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson also signatories.
'No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil
society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid and other
crimes against humanity,' the letter says.
'Israel’s continued impunity for such crimes will only be
ended by the weight of collective conscientious action, including measures to
block their entry to sporting or cultural events and activities,' it went on.
Ceferin put a potential ban for Israel on hold at the end of
September when Donald Trump first proposed his peace plan for the region.
The Athletes 4 Peace letter was also co-signed by other
pro-Palestine groups including Game Over Israel, who were recently lobbying
against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending the hugely controversial Europa League
game against Aston Villa last week.
Ashish Prashar, campaign director for Game Over Israel,
said: 'For president Ceferin to pause his vote to suspend Israel from European
football over a peace plan in name only, is either grossly naive, or
purposefully blind.'
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