GENEVA (AP) 鈥 A major cycling race in Spain was disrupted by protests against an Israeli team. A basketball game in Poland was preceded by fans booing the Israeli national anthem. And several European countries are threatening to boycott a signature entertainment event if Israel takes part.
The over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza has spread into the arenas of sports and culture. Israel鈥檚 critics say it should be sidelined from international events just like Russia has been since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Unlike Russia, which faced widespread condemnation and , Israel has not been shut out by global sports institutions like the International Olympic Committee or world soccer body FIFA. Besides the small international Muay Thai federation, there鈥檚 been little will in international sports to prevent Israeli athletes from competing under their national flag.
But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez raised the temperature earlier this week by siding with pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted the Spanish Vuelta cycling race, saying it鈥檚 time to boycott Israel from international sports events until the 鈥渂arbarity鈥 in Gaza ends. A day later, Spain鈥檚 public broadcaster joined three other European countries threatening to withdraw from and not carry next year鈥檚 鈥 a hugely popular event in Israel and across Europe 鈥 if Israel is allowed to compete.
Earlier this month, some Hollywood filmmakers, actors and other industry figures signed a pledge 鈥 including festivals, broadcasters and production companies.
Why, S谩nchez asked, shouldn鈥檛 Israel be expelled from sports just like Russia?
鈥淭his is different,鈥 the IOC鈥檚 executive director for Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi, said this week in Milan when asked to compare the two.
Both the IOC and FIFA have said the legal reasons for acting against Russia have not been reached in Israel鈥檚 case but haven鈥檛 given detailed explanations. The IOC has said Israel hasn鈥檛 breached the Olympic charter , when it annexed territories in eastern Ukraine. Also, European soccer federations and clubs are not refusing to play Israeli opponents.
FIFA declined a request for comment on its Israel policy and the delayed work of two panels by the Palestinian soccer federation, which has long tried to bar Israel from competition over its treatment of Palestinians.
Israel reacts strongly to Spanish prime minister’s comments
Israel reacted strongly to S谩nchez’ call for a sports boycott. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the Spanish leader an 鈥渁ntisemite and a liar.鈥 Israel has dug in its heels in the face of international isolation and criticism of its military campaign, which came in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants.
The most notable exclusion from international sports was imposed on Apartheid-era South Africa. It did not compete at any Olympics after 1960 until the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games, two years after Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
Russia was swiftly blacklisted by most sports federations after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its athletes competed under a neutral flag at the Paris Olympics.
Currently there is no momentum for Israel to face the same fate. Still, some analysts said the move by Spain is significant, not least because it is a major soccer power set to co-host the 2030 World Cup. It also will host an NFL game next month and the opening stage of next year鈥檚 Tour de France bike rice.
鈥淯ntil now we haven鈥檛 seen this type of outrage against Israeli action in Gaza,鈥 said Antoine Duval of the Asser Institute, a Netherlands-based think tank. 鈥淚 think this tide is turning now.鈥
Sports federations have complained about playing Israeli teams
How impactful Spain鈥檚 move will be remains to be seen. No world leader has so far followed S谩nchez鈥 call for excluding Israel from international sports.
On Thursday, a called on European soccer body UEFA to 鈥渦rgently cancel鈥 soccer team Aston Villa鈥檚 Nov. 6 Europa League match against Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv 鈥渢o ensure public safety and community harmony.鈥 UEFA has not shown any indication it will do so.
Israel’s culture and sports ministry didn’t return messages seeking comment.
In Europe, several sports federations have groused about having to play Israeli teams, while noting they have no choice since Israel isn’t banned from international competitions.
鈥淔acing Israel in these circumstances is not a scenario we would wish,鈥 Basketball Ireland chief executive John Feehan said last month about being drawn to play Israel in a Women鈥檚 Eurobasket qualifying game in November. 鈥淏ut there has been no change in Israel鈥檚 status within sport.鈥
Feehan said Ireland’s basketball federation could face sanctions 鈥渟hould we elect not to play, which would be hugely damaging to the sport here.鈥
In men鈥檚 soccer, Italy and Norway will host Israel next month in a World Cup qualifying matches and both federations spoke this week of their dissatisfaction with the situation.
Italian soccer leader Gabriele Gravina said he was 鈥渨ell aware of the sensitivity of Italian public opinion鈥 about the Oct. 14 game in Udine. But refusing to play would result in a 3-0 loss by forfeit, according to FIFA’s rules.
鈥淣ot playing also means clearly saying we鈥檙e not going to the World Cup, we have to be aware of that,鈥 Gravina said, adding that a boycott would instead help Israel advance closer to the finals tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Norway, which will play Israel on Oct. 11, said it would donate profits from ticket sales to Doctors Without Borders for its humanitarian work in Gaza.
Fans voice their protests against Israeli teams
When the Israel men鈥檚 national team played in Poland at Eurobasket last month, there were protests outside the arena in Katowice. Inside, the Israeli anthem was loudly booed by fans.
Last year, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were involved in violent clashes with residents in Amsterdam while attending a soccer there.
Protests inside stadiums are regularly seen in European soccer, even in May. A 鈥淪top Genocide In Gaza鈥 banner in French was displayed during the game by Paris Saint-Germain fans congregated behind one goal in Munich.
UEFA did not open a disciplinary case, despite having rules prohibiting political messaging. It fueled the debate at its own Super Cup game in August: Before kickoff in Udine, banners saying 鈥淪top Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians鈥 were in front of the PSG and Tottenham players.
In tennis, Canada last weekend behind closed doors in Halifax, Nova Scotia, due to 鈥渆scalating safety concerns.鈥 The move came after hundreds of Canadian athletes and academics urged Tennis Canada to cancel the matches over Israel鈥檚 actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
In 2023, Indonesia for the men鈥檚 Under-20 World Cup for FIFA rather than accept Israel playing on its turf. But its stance appears to have changed.
Israeli media reported in July that the country’s gymnastics federation was invited by Indonesia to send a team to the world championships in Jakarta later this year. Indonesia is currently in talks with the IOC to be considered as a .
