Israel barred from 'broadcasting international football games' in West Bank, Jerusalem settlements

Europe's governing football body has banned Israel's national broadcaster from showing World Cup and Euro 2020 football matches in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israeli broadcaster Kan bid around $5.8 million for the rights to Israel's early round games in the football competitions, but will not be able to broadcast them to Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

The contract with UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, states that Kan may only broadcast matches inside the Green Line and not the "Palestinian territories", Israeli media reported.

Kan has been negotiating for nearly a year with UEFA to be able to broadcast the games to settlers, but Europe's football body has not revised its policy.

The Israeli broadcaster was planning to show matches using Israeli cable and satellite technology which would only be available to Israeli settlers, not Palestinians, in the occupied territories.

A Qatari company has bought the rights to broadcast matches in the Middle East and North Africa, including the occupied Palestinian territories.

Upcoming qualifying matches for Israel's national team do not appear on Kan's broadcasting schedule.

All Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and major obstacles to peace as they are built on occupied Palestinian territory.

More than 600,000 settlers live among 2.9 million Palestinians in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem.

As a financial incentive for the expansion of settlements, the average settler receives three times more in public subsidies than a resident of Israel within its pre-1967 borders, or Green Line.