UEFA has decided to postpone any decision on suspending Israel from its competitions. The governing body of European football is keen to see if US President Donald Trump‘s peace plan can bring about a resolution before making a final decision. It was anticipated that UEFA would convene an emergency meeting of its executive committee to vote on the suspension of Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

There was a strong likelihood of support for drastic measures, with United Nations officials urging both UEFA and FIFA to take action. Should Israel be expelled by UEFA, it would effectively terminate their hopes of participating in next year’s World Cup as they would be unable to complete their qualifiers.

Currently, Israel sits third in their qualification group, trailing behind leaders Norway and Italy. Norway has been outspoken about Israel‘s continued participation despite the conflict.

Norway is scheduled to play against Israel on 11 October, with the Norwegian FA committing to donate profits from the Oslo match to Gaza. The Turkish Football Federation has also called for Israel‘s ban by FIFA and UEFA.

Aston Villa is set to host Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League on November 6. The Israeli club faced significant protests when they played against Greek side PAOK last week.

During the Super Cup final in August between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, UEFA displayed a banner which read: “Stop Killing Children, Stop Killing Civilians.”

UEFA and FIFA have remained tight-lipped, with the football governing bodies expected to hold off on commenting until further developments emerge regarding Trump’s 20 point peace plan.

Russia has been barred from European competition since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but the potential move to expel Israel from UEFA membership is a significant statement that has already ignited a heated debate.