FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday (April 7) that he will meet Palestine FA chief Jibril Rajoub to discuss the Palestinian bid to suspend Israel from world soccer's governing body.
Accusing Israel of restricting the movements of their athletes between the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestine FA said last week it would submit its proposal at the May 28-29 FIFA Congress in Switzerland.
Speaking at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Congress held in Cairo, Blatter said the request by Palestine is "very, very serious".
"There has been a letter coming out from the Palestinian Football Federation towards FIFA to put on the agenda of the FIFA Congress on the 28th and 29th of May, the suspension of a national association, in this case, Israel. This is a very, very serious matter and it is a case which has been debated at the last executive committee. The executive committee has mandated the FIFA President as it has been done two years ago already by the Congress to deal directly with this matter with the Palestine authorities and the football of Palestine but also with the Israelis authorities and the Israeli football," Blatter said.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli FA declined to comment on whether Blatter would also meet Israeli soccer chiefs during his trip. In past visits, the FIFA president has met with both neighbours.