FIFA president Gianni Infantino's initiative to have Israeli and Palestinian football representatives shake hands on stage for a peace message has caused a scandal.
Medianews.az reports that the head of the Palestinian Football Federation, Jibril Rajoub, rejected this proposal and left the stage.
At the FIFA congress held in Vancouver, Canada, Gianni Infantino invited both sides to the stage. However, Rajoub did not accept the symbolic handshake call.
The Palestinian official explained his decision with political and humanitarian reasons. He criticized the Israeli government and stated that such a step was unacceptable.
The incident caused wide resonance in the international sports community. Infantino's "football is a tool for peace" approach was criticized, and FIFA's neutrality was questioned again.
Medianews.az