Athlete spokesman Maximilian Klein has called on national and international sports associations to take “decisive action against anti-Semitism and hostility to Israel in sport”. As the director of sports policy and strategy for the Athletes Germany Association explained, the associations are obliged, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to “protect athletes from anti-Semitism in particular and group-related inhumanity in general and to provide appropriate remedial measures in the event of incidents.”
Boycotts or negative actions against Israeli athletes have been “a sad reality in world sport for a long time,” said Klein. Just last Friday, the Turkish Tugce Beder refused to shake her Israeli opponent Tamar Malca’s traditional handshake at the European Judo Championships in Montpellier. So far there have been no consequences from the International Judo Association. “Unfortunately, in many cases the necessary consequences are not drawn,” said Klein.
Not just prevention
A reporting center for anti-Semitic incidents in a sports context was recently launched in German sports. On Saturday, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) called on its member organizations and athletes across the country to take a clear and visible stance against anti-Semitism (“‘Never again!’ is now”). In a joint statement with the Jewish sports association Makkabi Germany, the DOSB recalled the “integrative power and role model function” of sport.
“In perspective, the future Safe Sport Code should include, in addition to interpersonal violence, other human rights risks such as group-related misanthropy and discrimination,” Klein further suggested. The independent Center for Safe Sport could also “be given appropriate competencies in the independent investigation and sanctioning of anti-Semitic incidents in this area of action”.
Itay Goder, Tel Aviv Published/Updated: Recommendations: 16 Michael Wittershagen Published/Updated: Recommendations: 9 Stephan Löwenstein, Vienna Published/Updated: Recommendations: 4
Ultimately, safe sport also means that Jewish athletes can trust that “not only effective prevention work will be carried out, but incidents will be responded to consistently and remedial measures will be provided,” said the athlete spokesman.
2023-11-07 15:05:25
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