Jibril Rajoub
Palestine Football Association president who refused to shake the Israeli FA vice-president's hand at Vancouver.
Last refreshed: 2 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can FIFA maintain its 'all nations play' principle while the Palestinian FA refuses to acknowledge Israel's officials?
Timeline for Jibril Rajoub
Refused to shake hands with Suliman on the Congress stage
2026 FIFA World Cup: Rajoub refuses Suliman handshake on stageMentioned in: PFA appeals FIFA Israel ruling at CAS
2026 FIFA World Cup- Who is Jibril Rajoub and why did he refuse to shake hands at the FIFA Congress?
- Jibril Rajoub is president of the Palestine Football Association. He publicly refused to shake hands with Israeli FA vice-president Basim Sheikh Suliman at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in late April 2026, as a political protest against Israeli participation in the World Cup.Source: event
- Is Palestine trying to get Israel banned from the 2026 World Cup?
- Yes. The Palestine Football Association appealed FIFA's decision to allow Israel to play, and that appeal is currently before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Source: FIFA / CAS
- What happened between the Palestinian and Israeli football officials at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver?
- Palestine FA president Jibril Rajoub refused to shake the hand of Israeli FA vice-president Basim Sheikh Suliman on stage at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver during the 2026 World Cup preparations.Source: event
Background
Jibril Rajoub is president of the Palestine Football Association and a senior figure in the Palestinian political and sporting establishment. He has served in various Palestinian Authority security and political roles and has been a member of the Fatah Central Committee. In football governance, he represents the Palestinian FA at FIFA Congress and has been a vocal proponent of suspending or banning Israel from FIFA.
At the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in late April 2026, Rajoub publicly refused to shake the hand of Israeli Football Association vice-president Basim Sheikh Suliman on stage during an official ceremony, in a gesture that drew immediate international attention . The act of refusal was a deliberate and visible political statement at a moment when the Palestinian Football Association was actively pursuing the suspension or exclusion of Israel from World Cup competition through FIFA governance channels.
Rajoub's gesture encapsulates the fundamental tension at the 2026 tournament: FIFA's commitment to universality — all qualified nations must play — sits in direct conflict with the Palestinian Football Association's ongoing campaign before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is hearing the PFA's appeal of FIFA's decision to allow Israel to participate.
