Soccer’s global governing body, FIFA, said it had reached an agreement on Thursday with the federations representing Israelis and Palestinians that put off a decision on a potentially explosive dispute until after the Olympics.
The dispute, prompted by a Palestinian bid to temporarily suspend Israel from the sport over its actions in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, spares FIFA from a ruling that could have led to Israel’s team being thrown out of the men’s tournament at the Games less than a week before the competition is to begin.
The issue, a long-simmering source of controversy for FIFA and the soccer neighbors, was rekindled by the raging war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, including of soccer players and other athletes.