#Crif – Francis Kalifat écrit au Président de la FIFA

A la suite des plaintes reçues du Crif comme des autres organisations juives internationales, la FIFA a décidé de reporter cette décision au prochain congrès, au mois d'octobre.

Dans son courrier, Francs Kalifat a écrit :
As President of the CRIF, the representation of the French Jewish community – the largest in Europe –, I write to tell you my surprise and my indignation to hear that the FIFA has again envisaged to consider the request of the PFA to the upcoming FIFA Congress on May 11-11 to suspend Israel from the organization.
We understand that the claims of the PFA are purely political in nature and therefore not a subject for FIFA but for the governments.  Raising the Palestinian proposal at the Congress would be a clear case of singling out Israel and would put FIFA on the slippery slope of mixing politics and sports.
As a Jewish secular institution very integrated in the life of our country and fighting daily a growing anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic violence from a part of the French youth, such a decision would necessarily generate more anti-Semitic behaviors in the stadiums.
We hope that you will stay firm on your principles to favor peace and dialog through football and that you will not respond to this invitation to transform FIFA into a political instrument.