In a statement, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) claimed deputy secretary general Mohammad Ammassi was denied permission by Israel to travel from Gaza to the West Bank, which would have allowed him to fly to Brazil via Jordan.

"This is not the first time Mr Ammassi has been denied a travel permit," the PFA added in its statement.

"Israeli authorities have nothing against him, which clearly makes this rejection a temperamental and arbitrary measure that does not help the efforts to find a solution to the situation of Palestinian football."

Ammassi was "the third officially registered delegate" of the PFA set to travel to Brazil for the FIFA Congress, scheduled to take place tomorrow and Wednesday (June 11), which will continue discussions on the ongoing Israel-Palestine situation.

The Palestine Football Association sent a statement yesterday claiming the Israeli authorities denied its secretary general a permit to travel to Brazil from Gaza ©PFA



Guy Inbar, spokesman for Israel's Civil Administration in West Bank, claimed Ammassi's visa request was rejected because he did not file it at least 10 days before the date of departure, a security procedure that Inbar said had been agreed on with the Palestinian team.

He added that if Ammassi resubmits his request, it will be duly considered.

The PFA has been lobbying world governing body FIFA to impose sanctions against Israel over restrictions on the movement of players from the blockaded Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians claim Israeli security forces, who control movement between the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, frequently prevent athletes from travelling freely between the two separated territories, using bullying tactics in the process.

PFA President Jibril Rajoub told Reuters last month that the relationship between the two Middle East neighbours had deteriorated after the recent arrest of a Palestine footballer and the shooting of two other players.

Though sympathising with the PFA over these accusations, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has indicated he will not support Palestinian calls for sanctions against Israel at the Congress and has made finding a compromise between the two political foes one of his main priorities.

Following the FIFA Executive Committee meeting, which ended yesterday, FIFA has said that "further meetings with all stakeholders will take place before the Congress, when the issue will be tackled".

FIFA President Sepp Blatter made a three-day visit to the Middle East in an attempt to discuss the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict ©Getty Images



This follows Blatter's three-day visit to the Middle East, where he met with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with a full report from this visit set to be given at the Congress on Wednesday.

On the conclusion of the visit, Blatter said: "Following the mandate I've received from the Congress and after mechanisms have been put in place to facilitate the movement of football representatives and equipment into, out of and within Palestine, it was important for me to go back to Israel and Palestine, meet the political and football authorities and thus get first-hand information.

"In particular, I had fruitful talks with H.E. Mahmoud Abbas and H.E. Benjamin Netanyahu.

"While there is still some work to do, there are some results, which we can build on.

"I'm confident football will help building bridges between people of Palestine and Israel."

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