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The International Association of Football Federations (FIFA) fined the Israel Football Association (IFA) 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,700) following an investigation into discrimination in Israeli football, concluding the federation did not take effective action against racist incidents tied to Beitar Jerusalem supporters.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the Palestine Football Association (PFA) in October 2024, which led FIFA to examine allegations of discriminatory behavior and institutional inaction.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee found that supporters of Beitar Jerusalem had engaged in repeated racist conduct, including the use of exclusionary slogans and chants targeting Arab players. It said these incidents formed a consistent pattern rather than isolated cases.
The committee also concluded that penalties imposed by the IFA were insufficient, describing them as inadequate to deter further incidents and reflecting broader shortcomings in how the federation handled discrimination.
Alongside the financial penalty, FIFA issued a formal warning and instructed the IFA to display a banner reading "Football Unites the World — No to Discrimination" during its next three home matches in FIFA competitions. The federation must also dedicate one-third of the fine to measures aimed at preventing discrimination and ensuring stronger enforcement in future cases.
FIFA further noted that the IFA had not publicly condemned racist incidents or introduced campaigns promoting inclusion and criticized its lack of response to political messaging from league officials and affiliated clubs.
Beitar Jerusalem is one of Israel’s most popular football clubs, but it has long been associated with racist and extremist behavior among sections of its fan base.
The club has never signed an Arab player, a point of pride for some supporters, and its fan culture has been widely criticized for anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hostility.
Chants such as "Death to Arabs" have been repeatedly documented at matches, alongside other racist slogans targeting Arab players and communities.
A key group behind much of this behavior is "La Familia," a far-right ultra-fan organization known for nationalist ideology, hooliganism, and violence. The group has been linked to racist chanting, riots, vandalism, and intimidation campaigns against players and club officials.
One of the most widely reported incidents came during the 2012–13 season, when the club signed two Muslim players from Chechnya. In response, sections of fans launched a sustained racist campaign, displaying banners reading "Forever pure. No Arabs" and directing abuse at the players.
In a parallel investigation, FIFA reviewed allegations concerning Israeli clubs based in the occupied West Bank participating in domestic leagues but decided not to impose sanctions.
The governing body said the legal status of the territory remains unresolved under international law, making disciplinary action inappropriate in this context.
The PFA said the outcome marked progress but added that it did not fully reflect the scope of the concerns it had raised.
Independent United Nations experts in 2024 identified several football clubs operating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and urged FIFA to align its governance with human rights standards.
The experts stressed that the autonomy of sport should not undermine fundamental rights, pointing to illegal Israeli settlements in the territory, where more than 500,000 Israelis continue to expand their presence alongside roughly three million Palestinians.
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