In a bold move that underscores the complexity of football and identity in the region, Fadi Najjar, a former Israel U21 international and current center-back for M.S. Soheib Kafr Qasim, has turned down an invitation to join the Palestine national team.
BabaGol can exclusively reveal that despite a determined recruitment effort, Najjar has declined the offer, with sources close to the player saying: “He only wants to play for Israel.”
The Palestinian Football Association has recently intensified its efforts to scout players for the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In March, during the international window, Ahmed Taha—also from Kafr Qasim—joined the Palestinian side and even recorded an assist in their loss to Jordan.
Najjar, 26, a product of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s academy and a former top-flight player with Bnei Yehuda, is currently enjoying an impressive season in Israel’s second division. Despite his club being in the relegation playoff zone, he has stood out as one of the league’s top defenders, anchoring the third-best defense and contributing two goals.
With 37 appearances for Israel’s youth teams from U16 to U21 level, Najjar’s pedigree hasn’t gone unnoticed. According to sources in Kafr Qasim, his strong performances and leadership this season have sparked interest from several Israeli Premier League clubs—and also drew the attention of the Palestinian national team, which hoped to bring him in ahead of crucial qualifiers against Kuwait and Oman.
This isn’t the first time Palestine has tried to recruit dual-national players from Israel. In late 2024, they approached Hassan Hilo, the former Bnei Sakhnin defender now playing for Júbilo Iwata in Japan. He too declined.
“Fadi grew up in the Israeli football system and is focused on returning to the Premier League and even making a move abroad,” a source close to the player told BabaGol. “Having come through all the Israeli youth national teams, he dreams of one day representing the senior side.”
Photo courtesy: the player’s Instagram page.
A Hebrew version of this story was published at Israel Hayom newspaper.