Norway is actively using its influence in world football to promote the idea of suspending Israel's membership in FIFA. According to a recent Politico report, this diplomatic campaign is being led by the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) and its president, Lise Kleveland, who insist on applying sanctions against Israel within European football.
NFF's Stance and Actions
Lise Kleveland, a lawyer, former star of the Norwegian national team, and member of the UEFA Executive Committee, consistently advocates for this issue through official football structures. Before Norway's World Cup qualifier match against Israel in Oslo last year, Kleveland stated the federation's official position, saying: 'We believe that Israel should be suspended, and this is a matter of rule compliance.'
She explained that a unilateral boycott would have resulted in an automatic 3-0 victory for Israel, which would have seriously harmed Norway's chances of qualifying for the World Cup. Instead, the Norwegian team played at the Ullevål stadium and achieved a convincing 5-0 victory, in which Erling Haaland scored an impressive hat-trick, marking his 51st international goal.
Institutional Struggle and Double Standards
Despite the team's sporting successes, the federation's main battle remains institutional. Norway justifies its legal position by citing the precedent set by FIFA and UEFA following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While both governing bodies promptly suspended Russian teams, Israel continues to participate in international competitions despite the military actions in Gaza.
For Kleveland and her supporters, this demonstrates a clear double standard in how world football enforces human rights.
Acts of Solidarity and Support
During the match against Israel in Oslo last year, the NFF donated all ticket revenue from the sold-out match, which had a capacity of 23,000 people, to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) to provide medical aid in Gaza. One of Norway's largest private investment firms supported this initiative by significantly increasing the humanitarian fund. This firm pledged an additional 3 million Norwegian kroner (approximately 5.07 million riyals or about $310,300 USD) directly to organizations providing medical assistance to Palestine.
Fans also visually supported the campaign at the stadium by displaying Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, as well as a large banner reading: 'Let the children live.'
Governing Body Decisions
Despite growing pressure, FIFA refused to suspend the Israeli Football Association in March regarding clubs based in illegal settlements in occupied West Bank. Instead, FIFA imposed a fine of 150,000 Swiss francs (approximately 3.03 million riyals or about $185,500 USD) on the Israeli association. FIFA cited violations of safety rules concerning discrimination and offensive behavior and demanded the development of a plan to prevent discrimination.
