FIFA’s official site for booking hospitality packages for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has listed Palestine instead of Israel in its list of territories.
FIFA’s official hospitality website, Winterhill Hospitality, has listed the territory as Palestine and does not have Israel on the list of the countries. According to reports, the previous listing was stated as ‘Palestine Territory, Occupied’ before being changed to ‘Palestine’.
Israelis who wish to travel to the World Cup in Qatar will have to select Palestine instead of Israel, which has sparked debate amongst football fans worldwide. The Israelis were not too pleased with the decision as they stated that politics should not be involved in sports and labeled the move as ‘anti-semitic’.
Palestinians, on the other hand, hailed the decision as they stated it as a ‘moral and emotional’ win. Palestinian supporters from across the world took to social media to appreciate the move. Many fans stated that the company made a bold move while others took the opportunity to troll the Israelis.
Earlier, Israel had reached an agreement with FIFA that allowed the Israelis to travel to Qatar to attend the World Cup despite Qatar not recognizing the Israeli passport.
