Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness has called for Israel to be suspended from international competition ahead of this week's UEFA vote on Israel's participation in European tournaments.
"I'm working on this issue from a principled standpoint, but we won't be boycotting alone. A boycott would allow Israel to advance to the World Cup in our place," Klaveness said on the Norwegian podcast Pop and Politics, as quoted by The Guardian on Tuesday.
"In principle, we are now working to have Israel sanctioned. We believe it must be done; it's about enforcing the rules. Personally, I believe that if Russia is excluded, then Israel should be excluded as well," he added.
The Norwegian national team is scheduled to face Israel on October 11 in the European zone World Cup Qualifiers in Oslo.
A win for the hosts would virtually guarantee a place in the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.
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UEFA is preparing to vote on the possibility of banning Israel from European football competitions.
This issue emerged after the United Nations (UN) Commission of Inquiry released a report concluding that Israel committed genocide during the war in Gaza.
"It's very difficult to play against a country associated with the word genocide because at the end of the day, their flag and national anthem are still present," Klaveness said.
In addition to Norway, the President of the Turkish Football Federation, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, has also written to FIFA, UEFA, and the leaders of other national football associations in Europe to urge that Israel be banned from international competitions.
