A prominent Qatar-based pro-Palestine group has issued a statement to condemn the participation of 17 Israeli athletes at this year’s World Judo Championships, set to take place in Doha in May.
Qatar Youth Opposed to Normalisation (QAYON) urged the Qatari authorities to suspend the Israeli judokas from the tournament.
“QAYON condemns the decision to allow this Zionist participation and calls for its immediate retraction and the refusal to grant the representatives of the Zionist entity entry visas to the State of Qatar,” the Doha-based group said.
QAYON slammed the announcement as yet another form of “sports normalization.”
“We condemn and denounce sports normalization because it reinforces the practices of the Israeli occupation and its crimes in occupied Palestine and contributes to the continuity of this occupation by normalizing its presence on Arab soil,” QAYON stated.
The news sent shockwaves across social media given Qatar’s refusal to normalize with the Israeli occupation.
However, as per policies by global sporting bodies, all host nations of such events are required to grant access without discrimination to its venues.
In 2021, 13 Israeli judokas, one of whom – Sagi Muki – a former sergeant in the Israeli army, participated at the World Judo Masters.
“Through its participation in sports, cultural and other forums, the Zionist entity seeks to impose its legitimacy and present a false human image that contradicts the reality of its daily violations, terrorist behavior and continuous oppression of the Palestinians,” QAYON said.
The group has also called on the people of Qatar to boycott the sporting event.
“The reality of the crimes of the Zionist entity is no secret to anyone. This occupier is not ashamed of displacing millions, killing and arresting Palestinians, especially children, on a daily basis,” QAYON said.
It is worth mentioning that Qatar had refused to establish direct flights between Doha and Tel Aviv during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and pressed ‘Israel’ to allow Palestinians to travel to the Gulf state for the tournament.
Doha also refused to open a mission for Israeli visitors, including media, who came to the country for the event.
In 2019, players representing ‘Israel’ participated at the World Athletics Championships. The same year also saw Israeli players at the International Gymnastics Federation Artistic World Cup, where the Israeli national anthem was recited.
Some of the participants at this year’s judo championship had served in the Israeli occupation forces, which is accused by human rights groups of actively killing thousands of Palestinians and committing war crimes.
Muki, who participated at the previous championship, is among the athletes taking part in the May tournament.
He will join Judoka Peter Paltchik, who previously served in the occupation’s Air Force and took part in spreading Israel’s inaccurate narrative on the disturbing reality of Palestinians under occupation.
On social media, Paltchik often posts images of him worshiping at the Al Aqsa Mosque, where hundreds of thousands of Muslim Palestinians are often barred from entering and even attacked by Israeli forces.
Paltchik also took to Instagram to “praise” Israeli soldiers in “maintaining peace” as they attacked the holy site and launched a devastating bombing campaign in Gaza that killed at least 250 Palestinians including 66 children.
“The security forces have been working hours and hours in the field and most of them have not seen their families for many days, doing everything they can to do their job on the best side and to maintain society and public order in all this chaos,” he said in May 2021.
Meanwhile, Judoka Baruch Shmailov also served in the Israeli army and Gefen Primo was enlisted at the Israeli Air Force in 2019.
Israeli occupation has long attempted to isolate Palestinians from sports, hindering numerous teams from being able to train and play locally and internationally.
Palestinian footballers struggle to find locations to play matches due to the destruction of facilities across Palestinian lands by Israeli forces. Restrictions and checkpoints also mean it is difficult for players to gather.
In 2019, Israeli occupation canceled the FIFA Palestine Cup by denying Gazan players travel permits.
