Tennis players, Jewish leaders and politicians around the world rallied to support Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer after she was denied visa by Dubai
and prevented from attending a tournament in the Arab country.
| Sport and Politics |
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| Olmert urges tennis player Ram to cancel Dubai trip / Itamar Eichner |
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Prime minister wonders how come Israeli player agrees to participate in tournament that denied Peer's entry, while US champion Roddick boycotts event in protest |
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After facing global condemnation, Dubai this week received backing from the Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association and former Head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service in the West Bank Jibril Rajoub.
“We appreciate this move," Rajoub said, referring to Dubai's decision to bar Peer from entering the country, "and hope that each country in the world will not host any Israeli sportsman as long as Palestinian sport is under siege."
Andy Ram – got a visa. Peer – denied entry (Photo: AP)
Speaking to the Dubai-based Gulf News online newspaper on Sunday, Rajoub noted that last year Israel prevented the captain of the Palestinian Authority's national team – who resides in Gaza - to travel to the West Bank in order to attend the team's first international home match.
He also said that Palestinian athletes regularly face numerous difficulties in traveling from the West Bank to Gaza, within the West Bank or abroad due to IDF-imposed movement restrictions.
“There is a need for the international community to review its policies towards Israel. No Israeli sportsperson should be hosted if Israel does not agree to free Palestinian sport from suppression and injustice,” said Rajoub.
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