LOS ANGELES: The president of the Palestinian Football Association told AFP on Friday that he had been refused an entry visa for the US and Canada to attend World Cup events.
Jibril Rajoub said he had however been able to enter Mexico to attend the World Cup opening ceremony.
‘They did not grant me a visa for the US after I applied in (the Jordanian capital) Amman. Their behavior is ridiculous,’ Rajoub said in a telephone interview with AFP. ‘I am currently in Mexico. I will attend Tunisia’s match (in Monterrey against Sweden, and then I will return’ to the Palestinian territories, he added.
Rajoub told AFP that he had also failed to obtain a visa for Canada, which is co-hosting the World Cup.
‘Certain circles do not want us to criticize Israel,’ he said, claiming without providing evidence that ‘the Israelis had exerted pressure.
In April, Rajoub took part in the FIFA Congress in Vancouver but refused an invitation from FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to participate in a group photo with an official from the Israeli Football Association.
The Palestinian FootballAssociation has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA’s decision not to impose sanctions on Israel over the participation of clubs located in the occupied West Bank in competitions supervised by the Israeli Football Association.-AFP