FIFA President Infantino on Israel exclusion and better world consequences

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Responding to calls for the exclusion of Israel from official competitions FIFA president on October 2 in summary the FIFA president said that football is about unity and togetherness. A  worthy sentiment but it does not absolve football officials from addressing the specific contradictions that occur when their participant bodies engage in homicidal projects against other participants. Infantino’s response comes after a 2022 decision of UEFA, the European Football Association, to ban Russia from their competitions after its invasion of Ukraine. Clearly some actions appear worse than others to different bodies. The best "better world" response of associated bodies like FIFA and UEFA is to openly acknowledge their ethical challenges and try to explain the contradictions with their core values. Observers can then take informed action. Protest without outright exclusion can be a legitimate position but it is not the only one. FIFA could and can state and decry member countries’ hypocrisy when they violate professed values, without excluding them from competition. The core decision issue is what impact exclusion or inclusion is likely to have on preventing further bloodshed and inhumanity.