Israel took part in the Olympic Games for the 18th time in 2024. The 88 athletes were guarded around the clock by French security forces in Paris. (picture alliance / dpa / Sina Schuldt)
After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, there were several exclusions and restrictions for Israeli athletes and teams in international competitions. To this day, various sports organizations and prominent athletes are calling for Israel to be excluded from international competitions. These calls were made in the context of the ongoing military offensive in Gaza.
Yes, there are several examples. In October 2023, FIBA Europe temporarily suspended all basketball games with Israeli teams. In the FIBA Europe Cup, the Israeli clubs that were supposed to play their home games in Cyprus were even removed from the competition – the security requirements could not be met.
The world ice hockey association IIHF also excluded Israel from the World Cup tournaments in March and April 2024 due to security concerns. The Israeli U20 juniors, however, were allowed to take part in the Ice Hockey World Cup.
Many games have been postponed, for example in the basketball Champions League and in handball in the women’s European Championship qualification in 2024.
Individual players were also affected, including Jewish cricketer David Teeger, who plays for the South African U-19 national team. The South African Cricket Association decided in January 2024 that Teeger could take part in the U-19 World Cup on home soil, but would not be allowed to captain his team into the tournament – citing safety concerns.
At the beginning of 2024, twelve football associations from the Middle East, led by the Jordanian prince and president of the West Asian Football Association, Ali bin al-Hussein, called for a sports boycott against Israel. The call was made in a letter addressed to all FIFA member associations. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) is also putting pressure on the world governing body (FIFA) and is calling for the expulsion of Israel and sanctions for Israeli football clubs.
In addition to the demands of football associations, European politicians have also expressed their views. In February, 26 members of the French Parliament sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calling for sanctions against Israeli sports. At the same time, 13 members of the European Parliament are taking part in a similar initiative. Activists and athletes in different countries are networking to initiate petitions against Israeli sports.
FIFA has not yet made a clear decision to exclude Israel and is citing an investigation. FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that this was still ongoing and at the same time called for the restoration of peace in the region.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also not yet taken any sanctions against Israel. The conflict cannot be compared to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it said.
The world ice hockey association IIHF justified its exclusion of Israel from the World Cup with the duty of care to “protect all participants in IIHF competitions”. The war in the Middle East was not mentioned.
The recognition of Palestinian athletes plays an important role in international sport because Palestine is not considered a full state: the UN lists Palestine as an observer state. In the 2012 vote, 138 of 193 UN members were in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state, while nine countries voted against it. 41 countries, including Germany, abstained. The question of state recognition of Palestine therefore remains politically extremely sensitive.
The Palestinian Football Association has been a member of FIFA since 1998, which allows the national team to participate in international competitions such as the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup. Palestinian athletes are also active at international level in other sports, such as handball and athletics. Palestinian athletes have also been represented at the Olympic Games since 1996.
