UEFA held several meetings with representatives of the pro-Palestinian initiative Game Over Israel to discuss the potential conditions under which Israel could be suspended from international tournaments.
According to The Athletic, the dialogue has been ongoing since late September — since the announcement of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after several national football associations called on UEFA to put the issue of Israel's continued participation to a vote.
The Game Over Israel initiative was launched on September 17 — immediately after the UN classified Israel's actions in Gaza as acts of genocide. During meetings, the parties discussed legal tools that could allow for such a ban. It is known that UEFA is not eager to unilaterally suspend Israel, fearing conflicts with other sporting bodies; however, it is closely monitoring legal proceedings in Ireland and Switzerland, which could theoretically compel the association to act within the framework of international law.
One of the key meetings took place on October 15 at UEFA's headquarters. That same week, West Midlands police banned fans of Tel Aviv's Maccabi from traveling to the match against Aston Villa in the Europa League for safety reasons. According to sources, it was after this that UEFA requested activists to provide expert opinions on human rights for further use in the decision-making process.
