Palestinian football chief says he was denied US visa during World Cup

Last year the US State Department implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority

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Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

The head of the Palestinian Football Association is stranded in Mexico City after being denied entry to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

World's largest sports event: Controversies mar FIFA World Cup ahead of kickoff
World's largest sports event: Controversies mar FIFA World Cup ahead of kickoff

Jibril Rajoub, a veteran of Palestinian politics who attended the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, told US media he didn't believe “that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend.”

Earlier this year Rajoub declined a handshake shake his Israeli counterpart, saying the gesture would amount to "whitewashing" Israel’s alleged "crimes."  

While the Palestinian team failed to qualify for the World Cup, the heads of football associations from around the world are typically invited to the global event every four years. 

Last year the US State Department implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas receives draft constitution to transform PA into a state
Abbas receives draft constitution to transform PA into a state

It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the United Nations General Assembly last September.

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