More than 70 professional athletes have formally accused Israel of human rights abuses and called for the country to be banned from international sports, particularly football. In a joint letter organized by human rights groups and the “Athletes for Peace” initiative, they urged UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin to immediately sever ties with the Israel Football Association (IFA).

The letter, titled “Game Over Israel” and delivered on Tuesday (November 11), argues that no nation implicated in genocide or crimes against humanity should be granted a platform in international civil society. “No shared venue, stage, or arena should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity,” it states, emphasizing a collective moral duty to bar Israel from sporting and cultural events. The signatories highlight Israel’s inclusion of clubs from illegal West Bank settlements in its leagues, which they claim violates FIFA rules and implicates UEFA in facilitating international law breaches through funding and tournament participation.

Prominent endorsers include French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi, Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech, and Spanish winger Adama Traoré, alongside athletes from various nations. Human rights organizations such as the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Gaza Tribunal have also signed on, amplifying the call that echoes previous demands amid Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza.

The petition points to the destruction of Gaza’s sports infrastructure and the deaths of at least 421 Palestinian footballers since October 2023, part of a broader toll exceeding 69,182 Palestinian fatalities in Israeli strikes. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire formally halting attacks, Israel continues to obstruct humanitarian aid and sustain civilian deaths, according to the letter. It draws parallels to past suspensions of apartheid-era South Africa, Nazi Germany, Yugoslavia, and Russia, arguing UEFA must act to avoid normalizing atrocities.

Support has come from the Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu and the Football Association of Ireland, who echoed the ban demand. UN experts and Amnesty International have similarly urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel, citing the deaths of over 800 Palestinian athletes and sports officials as evidence of complicity in genocide and occupation.

This campaign intensifies pressure on UEFA, with reports suggesting the executive committee may vote on suspension by month’s end, amid growing athlete-led advocacy for sports to reject human rights violators.