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Dropping the bid to suspend Israel from FIFA was an "outrageous deviation from our values, principles and efforts to expose the Israeli occupation's crimes and to oust Israel from international organizations," the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said Saturday.

The leftist PLO faction laid responsibility for the last-minute withdrawal on Palestinian Authority decision makers, calling upon the Executive Committee of the PLO to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue and "settle account with" those behind the decision.

Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub dropped the bid Friday minutes before it was scheduled to be brought to the table.

The football governing body voted instead on an amendment proposing the formation of a committee to monitor the movement of Palestinian football players, Israeli racism, as well as the status of Israeli league teams based in illegal Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank.

The new amendment passed with 90 percent of member nations voting in favor following a whirlwind of ambiguous last minute changes.

PFLP maintained that Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub should be questioned over his position and his exact actions during the FIFA congress meeting.

Such behavior is a "slap to Palestinian sport," the group said, pointing to the decision as a waste of the blood lost by all those who have sacrificed for Palestinian movement and independence from Israeli occupation.

http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=765678