The dispute between the international ice hockey federation (IIHF) and the Israeli federation is far from over. Excluded from international competitions at the beginning of January for “security reasons”, the latter deplored a “serious” decision and “in total contradiction with Olympic values”. “By this decision deemed anti-Semitic, the federation thus provides support for terrorism and the massacres of Israeli children and elderly people who were perpetrated in their homes,” she declared in a press release.
The international ice hockey federation justified its decision for security reasons. “After carefully reviewing the situation, the IIHF Council has decided that, given the concerns raised around the safety of all participants in the Championships, Israel will no longer take part in IIHF competitions at this time,” she wrote in a press release, announcing that she had discussed it with the various participating nations, which had provoked the anger of the Israeli federation.
A hearing on February 19
A month later, the points of view are still opposing. Even if the Israelis were finally able to participate in the U20 World Championships (3rd division), in Bulgaria, a competition which they also won, they are still not authorized to take part in the three other planned tournaments, organized in Serbia , in Spain and Estonia. A hearing is scheduled for Monday, February 19 before the IIHF Legal Commission to decide whether or not the Israeli teams will participate.
But whatever the decision, the authorities of the Hebrew State will not let up. After appealing the decision to the IIHF legal commission, the Israeli federation claims to have had a written response in which the international federation described Hamas as “a Palestinian Islamist militant group”. A qualification that scandalizes Israel. “These are terms which are unacceptable in view of the tragic events which took place on October 7,” regrets an official from the Israeli Olympic committee. No nation anymore uses these words to refer to this terrorist group. I couldn’t imagine that a sporting body would make a statement like that, it goes beyond the scope of sport. »
However, the participation of Israeli teams has not yet been completely ruled out. Because the host countries could, like Bulgaria, reassure the international federation about the security conditions and allow the Israeli team to participate. Assuring that it has good relations with all other international federations and even thanking World Aquatics for allowing it to participate in the World Swimming Championships, despite them being held in Qatar, a country with which diplomatic relations are complicated, the Israeli Committee hopes that the situation will change. It will therefore be set for February 19.
