Seventy elite sports stars, including former Manchester United footballer Paul Pogba, have signed a letter demanding that Uefa suspends Israel from football.

The letter was sent to Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa’s president, on Tuesday. It was organised on behalf of the campaign groups Game Over Israel and Athletes 4 Peace.

The signatories called on Israel to be suspended to ensure that Uefa and the sporting community it governs “does not participate in the normalisation of genocide, apartheid, and crimes against humanity”.

In September, reports suggested that most of Uefa’s executive committee were in favour of suspending Israel over its genocide in Gaza.

A vote had been expected at the end of September, but it was paused after US President Donald Trump proposed a ceasefire plan.

“For President Ceferin to pause his vote to suspend Israel from European football over a peace plan in name only is either grossly naïve or purposefully blind,” said Ashish Prashar, campaign director of Game Over Israel.

Last week, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) approved a motion to submit a formal resolution to Uefa on Israel’s suspension.

‘For Ceferin to pause his vote to suspend Israel from European football over a peace plan in name only is either grossly naive or purposefully blind’

– Ashish Prashar, campaign director of Game Over

During the FAI’s meeting, 74 members voted in favour of the motion, with seven against and two abstentions.

Ireland’s resolution comes amid similar calls from other Uefa member nations, including Norway and Turkey, to ban Israel from European competitions.

“The participation of teams from illegal settlements [in occupied Palestine] in Israeli football leagues is a breach of fundamental principles of international law,” the letter stated.

“Uefa’s relationship with the IFA [Israel Football Association] – providing funding and allowing Israeli teams to play in international tournaments – means that Uefa may also be facilitating these violations and may themselves be accountable.”

The signatories include Fulham winger Adama Traore, Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi and former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson.

‘End Israeli impunity’

The Telegraph reported that sources close to the campaigners believe that Uefa could hold a vote on Israeli suspension by the end of this month.

“No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity,” the signatories stated.

Uefa Super Cup: ‘Stop killing children’ banner labelled ‘cowardice’ as calls for Israel ban grow

“Israel’s continued impunity for such crimes will only be ended by the weight of collective conscientious action, including measures to block their entry to sporting or cultural events and activities.”

They noted that football’s governing bodies had historically suspended states from football due to violations of international law, citing apartheid South Africa, Germany, Yugoslavia and, in more recent years, Russia.

Uefa previously made a seeming protest against Israel during the European Super Cup final in August between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur.

“Stop Killing Children, Stop Killing Civilians,” a banner displayed before the match read, an apparent condemnation of Israel’s targeting of Palestinian children.

Possible action by Uefa against Israel will increase pressure on Fifa to act but the world football governing body faces pressure from the US, which has backed Israel during its genocide, to not implement sanctions.

Earlier this year, the US said it will intervene to prevent Israel from being sanctioned by Fifa ahead of the World Cup due to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.

A State Department spokesperson told Sky News that the US would “absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup”.

In any event, Israel lies third in its World Cup qualifying group and it is highly unlikely that it will qualify for next year’s competition.