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Israel’s Olympic Committee canceled its 2025 awards for athletes and coaches as the country’s sports teams face growing global opposition, protests and security concerns amid tensions over the war in Gaza.
Israel’s committee informed its sports governing bodies of the cancellation in a statement provided to Pakinomist Digital by the Israel Fencing Association.
“Some of our top athletes, including Olympic medalists, were unable to participate in major international events, which directly affects the selection of both athletes and coaches of the year,” the statement read.
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Athletes from Israel watch as the Eiffel Tower is viewed from a boat in the floating parade on the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Nir Elias – Pool/Getty Images)
Several Israeli national teams were prevented from competing in major international competitions over the past year.
Most notably, the country’s gymnastics team and Olympic gold medalist Artem Dolgopyat was denied a visa to enter Indonesia for the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta.
The Indonesian government cited safety and security concerns for denying visas, but a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) confirmed to Pakinomist Digital that Israel’s security team granted permission to its athletes.
“We received permission from the Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Cup, subject to the necessary security protocols being in place. From our side, all preparations were completed – registration process, entry visa to Indonesia and confirmation by Israeli security authorities,” the IGF said.
Israeli men’s gymnast Eyal Indig told Pakinomist Digital Indonesia’s decision was “a blatant incident of discrimination on the basis of nationality.” Indig also said that Israel’s judo team was also unable to participate in Hungary for the World Judo Championships in June.
Israeli outlet The Jerusalem Post has also reported that “Olympic judo champions Inbar Lanir and Raz Hershko were similarly unable to participate in the World Judo Championships during a tense period of competition against Iran.”
The outlet also reported, “The national fencing team faced delays in reaching the EC after being forced to travel by sea, while Israel’s shooting team was unable to participate in the world championships. The triathlon team also missed the EC, as did several other teams across disciplines.”
HOSTAGE CLAIMS ISRAELI FANS BANNED FROM UK FOOTBALL MATCHES DUE TO CONCERNS OVER PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS
Team Israel competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group All-Around Final on day fifteen of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The governing bodies of football in Ireland, Norway and Turkey have called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Team Israel from the competition over the war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, even fans of Israeli teams have faced bans in recent months.
In England, fans of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from attending the team’s recent match against Aston Villa in the UK for security reasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv FC supporters were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam before and during the football team’s match against Ajax last year. However, unrest still broke out at the match on Thursday, with anti-Israel protesters nearby.
That is according to the British police six people were arrested on Thursday ahead of the Israeli team’s match against Aston Villa in a Europa League match.
Around 200 protesters gathered near a park near Aston Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand. Those protesters included members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, according to the Associated Press. Some pro-Israel protesters were also present.
Meanwhile, the Israeli cycling team, Israel-Premier Tech (IPT), lost its top sponsor despite complying with the sponsor’s request to remove the word “Israel” from the team name.
Canadian company Premier Tech announced it would end its partnership with the team in a statement released Friday.
“After several discussions with the team and careful assessment of all relevant circumstances, Premier Tech has decided to step down as co-title sponsor of the team, effective immediately,” the statement said.
The team was banned from an October race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, due to concerns over potentially disruptive pro-Palestine protests.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters and Israel Premier Tech cycling team (Getty Images)
The organizers took the decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Spanish Vuelta in the presence of Israel-Premier Tech.
Seven of the past 11 days of racing at the Vuelta were canceled or suspended due to Government of Spain estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets of Madrid during the final stage in September.
