Israel’s under-19 national basketball team made its historic debut at the FIBA World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland on Saturday—but the tournament opener was momentarily interrupted when a pro-Palestinian protester stormed the court waving a Palestinian flag just nine seconds into the game.
The incident briefly delayed play but the game quickly resumed. Israel edged host nation Switzerland 23–22 in the first quarter, thanks in part to aggressive play that sent them to the free-throw line 16 times.
The match marks Israel’s first-ever appearance at the under-19 World Cup, earned after finishing fourth in last year’s European Championship. Star guard Omer Mayer, who recently left Maccabi Tel Aviv and will play for Purdue University next season, is leading the team in the absence of NBA draftee Ben Saraf.
The Israeli team, which had no chance to play warm-up games due to the recent conflict with Iran, finds itself in one of the tournament’s weaker groups—alongside Switzerland, the Dominican Republic and Jordan.
But the upcoming game against Jordan, scheduled for Sunday, has stirred political controversy. In the neighboring country, critics have urged the national team to boycott the match with what they describe as "the Zionist entity," citing the ongoing war in Gaza and Israel’s recent military operations.
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Calls for withdrawal have gained traction online under the Arabic hashtag “Our team against normalization.” BDS activist Inas Hajir told Al Jazeera, “We reject any game with the Zionist enemy. We call on our national team to refuse normalization through sport, especially while war crimes continue in Gaza.”
Prominent Jordanian voices, including journalists and attorneys, have echoed similar sentiments. Lawyer Mohammad Abu Tarbush posted on social media: “What do you think—should we withdraw or participate?” Some warned that even standing for Israel’s anthem would be unacceptable. Others called withdrawal a “national and moral duty.”
Still, not all voices agreed. “Play and beat them,” one user replied. “Pulling out would seriously damage Jordanian basketball.” Another wrote: “Participation is important but if they choose to play against those who committed war crimes two weeks ago, they must accept the public backlash.”
The Jordan Basketball Federation has yet to issue a formal decision. Federation president Ahmad Hanandeh said earlier this month that the matter was still under internal discussion. Meanwhile, Qatari outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed questioned whether Jordan would ultimately forfeit the match, calling the draw a “shock” to sports fans in the kingdom.