LONDON: Amnesty International on Tuesday denounced Israel’s participation in the men’s UEFA Nations League, calling it “unconscionable” and a “betrayal of Palestinians, football’s own rules and human rights.” In a statement ahead of the opening matches of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League group stage, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s regional director for Europe, said UEFA should suspend the Israel Football Association over the participation of clubs based in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory. “It’s unconscionable that the Israel men’s football team will participate in the UEFA Nations League this autumn despite clear evidence that Israel’s football association continues to support illegal settlements,” Cockburn said. “Instead of sending a clear message that there is a cost for Israel’s unlawful occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory and its atrocity crimes against Palestinians, UEFA is giving Israel an international stage as it maintains its brutal occupation of the OPT, its system of apartheid over all Palestinians, and its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” Cockburn warned that allowing Israel to compete helped to normalize Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, apartheid against Palestinians and genocide in Gaza. “UEFA and FIFA should have suspended the Israel Football Association long ago, for its refusal to exclude clubs based in illegal settlements in the OPT,” he said. “Their continued participation in the Israeli leagues is in brazen violation of FIFA’s statutes and is contrary to international law. “As the money keeps flowing from FIFA and UEFA to the IFA, they risk contributing to the sustainability of illegal settlements and of Israel’s unlawful occupation of the OPT, and therefore Israel’s violations of Palestinians’ human rights.” He cited decisions and opinions from international courts, along with UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, that have criticized Israel’s “egregious violations.” Cockburn said: “Sport should never be used as a public relations spectacle for states committing atrocities. As political leaders and sporting authorities choose to stay on the sidelines, fueling Israel’s impunity, fans are stepping onto the pitch to demand accountability, justice and fair play. “When rules are broken, when occupation, apartheid and genocide are ongoing, we cannot look the other way.” Israel are scheduled to compete in League B of the 2026-27 Nations League alongside Austria, Ireland and Kosovo. The group phase is set to be played in two windows: Sept. 24-Oct. 6 and Nov. 12-17. The fixtures have drawn particular opposition in Ireland, where the Stop the Game campaign has called for Israel’s exclusion from football competitions. Football associations, players, activists, trade unions, artists and politicians have also called for sanctions, a boycott or suspension of Ireland’s scheduled matches against Israel on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. The Football Association of Ireland has formally asked UEFA to consider suspending Israel from UEFA competitions. UEFA, however, approved the Nations League schedule and authorized the use of “neutral venues” where necessary in countries other than Israel and Ireland. Ireland’s matches against Israel are scheduled to be played behind closed doors at neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia, with spectators barred from the stadiums. Amnesty said it wrote to FIFA and UEFA in October 2025 urging them to suspend the Israel Football Association unless settlement clubs were immediately removed from Israeli domestic leagues. The Palestinian Football Association has separately taken its challenge to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA rejected complaints concerning Israeli settlement clubs.