Although a 75% majority is needed for the Palestinian motion to carry, there has been a growing sense that the mood at FIFA is shifting the Palestinians' way. Israel and the US are, of course, deeply worried. Such a move would have strong overtones of the sports boycott against South Africa and further reinforce the idea that the description of Israel as an apartheid state holds. It would also disrupt FIFA tournaments Israel is due to host in the coming months, causing great embarrassment to Israel and FIFA's president, Sepp Blatter.
Meanwhile, almost everyone quietly acknowledges that FIFA is corrupt from head to toe, and has been for as long as the game has been another branch of the big-business entertainments industry. Just think how impossible it would have been for a body not profoundly infected with corrupt practices to have backed desert emirate Qatar's bid to host the 2022 tournament - in the middle of its stifling summer.
Today, however, the US decided it was time to call a halt to FIFA's corruption. It ordered the high-profile arrest and extradition of six senior FIFA officials on corruption charges dating back to the early 1990s. The operation at the FIFA officials' Zurich hotel, as they waited for Friday's vote, was covered in detail by leading US media organisations after they were tipped off beforehand. Apparently it has taken the US the best part of 20 years to get round to doing the paperwork to make the arrests.
Doubtless, none of this was designed to have - or will have - the slightest effect on FIFA officials as they contemplate whether to infuriate Israel and the US by booting Israel out of world soccer.
In the meantime, you can try to shore up FIFA's resolve by signing a petition here.
UPDATE:
Anyone who doubts how seriously Israel is taking the threat of being ousted from FIFA and how actively its supporters are working behind the scenes at the world body should read the comments of Avi Luzon, Israel's representative to UEFA, European football's governing body. Ominously, he says UEFA's support for Israel is sown up and suggests that UEFA will prevent Israel's suspension whatever the outcome of the vote.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: UEFA will not let Israel be harmed, especially as there is no reason for it. An agreement has been reached on a four-point draft that is acceptable to [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu, [UEFA president Michel] Platini, [FIFA president Sepp] Blatter and now [Palestinian soccer chief] Jibril Rajoub.
In the worst case scenario, if the Palestinians do not agree to pull the proposal and the congress is held as planned, UEFA will prevent the suspension of Israel in a very clear way. From the conversations with important people, face to face here in Warsaw, I can say without a doubt that concern over Israel's suspension through a vote will not happen.
Rather than copy my comments from the prior article on this subject, and post them here again, please do go to the earlier story and see what I said there: [Link]
Israel only cares about the world's opinion because that Tribe is a small minority of the human race. (Yes, I will call them humans, even though THEY call the rest of us "cattle.") Until the Tribe can cause enough of us cattle to kill off each other at their instigation, while they lend both sides the money, which they manufacture out of thin air, in order to sell both sides the weapons with which to kill each other, (a few billion less of us cattle should do it for them,) until there are few enough of us, and we are sufficiently morally degenerated by Hollywood and the TV networks, and physically weakened by GMO foods, so that the Pure Chosen of G-d can rule the world, until then they have to be concerned about our opinion of them, in case enough of us wake up and smell the bullshit so that they lose their moral and financial power over us.
This story has nothing at all to do with corruption. The "Justice" (sic) department does not give a flea-fart about corruption, anywhere and at any time. The corruption in the US Government makes the Mafia look like Girl Scouts peddling cookies. (Follow the link to my previous comments.) No, this brouhaha is all politics. Let me tell you what will happen to FIFA if it does not back down and kiss the hairy asses of Israel. I know this, because it happened already to SOTT for posting comments like mine. FIFA's bank accounts will be closed with no explanation given, its website host will drop the site, its servers will be hacked and crash and all their data will be irretrievably lost, its landlords wherever it has offices will not renew their leases, and this will happen, also, individually, to all its principal officers and officials.
Anyone want to lay me a bet that FIFA will back down? I guarantee it. Look how the party that won the Greek elections backed down. If entire countries are so terrified of the Power Of Zion, you think FIFA can withstand them? Not a snowball's chance in hell.
Even the Pope with 1.5 billion followers is not immune to the Wrath of Zion. If you are hoping FIFA will show some backbone here, don't hold your breath.