Palestinian Football Chief Jibril Rajoub Uses Sports to Promote Anti-Israel Incitement
A unique report released by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism on Sunday exposes how Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Football Association and the Palestinian Olympic Committee, exploits his sports leadership roles to incite against Israel. Rajoub, who was sentenced to life imprisonment and suspected of corruption in his sports positions, has been barred by the U.S. government from entering World Cup events due to his extremist views. The report reveals Rajoub’s extensive ties to terrorist organizations and states supporting terrorism, positioning him as a key link between the Palestinian leadership, Hamas, and the Iran-Hezbollah axis on the international stage, using sports to legitimize their agendas.
According to the comprehensive report by the Ministry’s research division, Rajoub systematically incites hatred against Israel through sports by glorifying terrorists and promoting violence. He organizes tournaments named after terrorists like Dalal Mughrabi and Abu Jihad and attended a boxing match honoring Ali Hassan Salameh, a senior planner of the 1972 Munich massacre. Rajoub propagates four main narratives via sports: delegitimizing Israel’s existence by portraying it as a temporary colonial project; encouraging armed resistance and calls for a single authority with Hamas; spreading antisemitism including Nazi comparisons and Holocaust inversion; and glorifying terrorism by celebrating attackers as heroes.
Rajoub also serves as a bridge between Fatah and Hamas and recently stated that if Hitler returned, he would learn Nazism and fascism from Netanyahu. He maintained personal ties with Hamas leader Sinwar from their shared prison time and praised him as a "pragmatic leader". Rajoub’s younger brother Naif is a senior Hamas figure in the West Bank with direct Iranian connections.
Israeli officials condemned Rajoub’s actions. Amichai Shikli, Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, called Rajoub a "machine of incitement and poison" that seeks to turn global sports arenas into battlegrounds for Palestinian nationalist aims. Avi Cohen Skali, CEO of the ministry, stated that the campaign by this terrorist authority tries to transform every arena, from the Hague courts to Eurovision and international sports, into a stage for conflict with Israel. The ministry vows to continue exposing Palestinian hypocrisy and lies in all forums.
Summary: Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, uses sports to promote antisemitism, glorify terrorists, and incite violence against Israel, leveraging his ties to terrorist groups and states. Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs condemns his actions and vows to expose his campaign internationally.
