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The Israeli Olympic Committee has 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 Gaza war.
The Israeli committee informed its sports governing bodies of the cancellation in a statement provided to PK Press Club Digital by the Israel Fencing Association.
“Some of our top athletes, including Olympic medalists, have been unable to compete in major international events, which directly affects the selection of athletes and coaches of the year,” the statement said.
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Israeli athletes look at the Eiffel Tower as seen from aboard a boat during the parade floating on the Seine River during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. (Nir Elias – Piscine/Getty Images)
Several Israeli national teams have been prevented from participating in major international competitions over the past year.
Most notably, the country’s gymnastics team and Olympic gold medalist Artem Dolgopyat were denied visas to enter Indonesia for the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta.
The Indonesian government cited security concerns as the reason for denying the visas, but a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) confirmed to PK Press Club Digital that the Israeli security team had given clearance to its athletes.
“We received permission from Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Championship subject to the necessary security protocols in place. From our side, all preparations were completed: registration process, entry visas to Indonesia and confirmation from Israeli security authorities,” the IGF said.
Israeli gymnast Eyal Indig said PK Press Club Digital Indonesia’s decision was “a blatant incident of discrimination based on nationality.” Indig also said that the Israeli judo team was also unable to participate in the World Judo Championships in Hungary in June.
Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post also reported that “Olympic judo medalists Inbar Lanir and Raz Hershko were also unable to participate in the World Judo Championships during a period of tense competition against Iran.”
The outlet also reported: “The national fencing team faced delays in reaching the European Championships after being forced to travel by sea, while Israel’s shooting team was unable to attend the World Championships. The triathlon team also missed the European Championships, as did several other teams across all disciplines.”
FREED HOSTAGE DELAMES ISRAELI FANS WHO ARE BANNED FROM UK SOCCER MATCH DUE TO CONCERNS OF PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS
Team Israel competes in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group All-Around Final on the fifteenth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Porte de la Chapelle Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Football governing bodies in Ireland, Norway and Turkey have called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend the Israel team from the competition due to the war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, even fans of Israeli teams have been excluded in recent months.
In England, fans of Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from attending the team’s recent match against Aston Villa in the United Kingdom due to security concerns. Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly targets of violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year. However, unrest still erupted during Thursday’s match, with anti-Israel protesters nearby.
British police said 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. These protesters included members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, according to The Associated Press. Pro-Israeli demonstrators were also present.
Meanwhile, the Israeli cycling team, Israel-Premier Tech (IPT), lost its main 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 multiple discussions with the team and careful evaluation of all relevant circumstances, Premier Tech has decided to step down from its role as co-title sponsor of the team effective immediately,” the statement said.
The team was excluded from an October race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, due to concerns about potentially disruptive pro-Palestinian protests.
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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli cycling team Premier Tech (Getty Images)
Organizers made the decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Spanish Vuelta in the presence of Israel-Premier Tech.
Seven of the last 11 days of racing at the Vuelta have been shortened or interrupted due to The Spanish government it is estimated that more than 100,000 people took to the streets of Madrid during the last stage in September.
