“Sport should have nothing to do with politics,” plead Israeli athletes

At the beginning of January, the international ice hockey federation announced the exclusion of Israel from all competitions it organizes to ensure “the safety of all participants”, before making an about-face. A precedent which demonstrates the puzzle of the major federations after October 7 and six months before the Paris Olympics.

With the Paris Olympic Games almost six months away, how can Israeli athletes participate in competitions in complete safety? The October 7 Hamas attack and the Jewish state’s response have provoked anger beyond the Middle East, and the threats facing Israelis abroad are now greater.

Thursday January 18, the president of the Israeli Olympic committee assured: “We will be there. Israel will be at the opening ceremony“. Yael Arad, former judokate, silver medalist at the Barcelona Games in 1992, said she was convinced that the French authorities “will do everything they can to make this event safe“, For “all athletes, not just Israelis“. The Israeli delegation “will stay at the Olympic Village“, as “any other delegation“, she added.

“We had a very bad experience”

However, behind the scenes, certain international federations are questioning the participation of Israeli delegations. Two weeks ago, the International Ice Hockey Federation first disqualified the under-20 team from the world championship in Bulgaria, which begins Monday January 22, for security reasons before reversing course under pressure from lawyers for the Israeli federation. “Two weeks before the tournament started, they told us it was canceled“, denounce Guy Aronowicz and his teammates. They regret a sudden decision that no one understood. “We had a very bad experience. It’s annoying because we’ve been preparing for this tournament since we were little. Sport should have nothing to do with politics.”he defends.

In Israel, ice hockey is a confidential sport, and it is not the results of the men’s teams that will gain notoriety. But that’s not the point: “It’s not just for us, but also for the country, for Israel. Our right to participate must be respected!underlines Michael Halloways, president of the Israeli ice hockey federation. “According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee, to organize a championship, you have to be able to accommodate everyone. If this is not the case, you have to move the competition, so that all countries can participate. Bulgaria is a country classified as green from a security point of view”.

A green color, according to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which, on the other hand, classifies France as orange. Authorities in the Jewish state confirm that their athletes will be protected during the Paris Olympics. The details of the device are, however, confidential.