Four Israeli athletes who were due to compete this weekend in the European Triathlon Cup in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, will ultimately not take part in the event, the organizing body, Northwest Triathlon Club (NWTC), announced Thursday evening.
In a statement posted on social media, the club said it only learned that Israeli athletes might participate in the competition after the World Triathlon Federation published a provisional list of participants for the race scheduled for Saturday. "We immediately made strong representations to Triathlon Ireland and Europe Triathlon and made clear in the strongest possible terms that it could not support their participation in the circumstances," the club said, adding: "For the avoidance of any doubt – athletes representing Israel will not be participating in the City of Derry Triathlon."
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Northern Ireland
(Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The NWTC stressed that "this is not a position directed at anyone because of their religion or ethnicity, nor is it hostility towards an individual simply because they were born in Israel. It is a position concerning representation of the State of Israel in international sport and the attempt to present normality on the international sporting stage while Palestinians continue to suffer."
Julie Middleton, a Northern Ireland lawmaker from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), expressed her disgust at the decision to exclude the Israeli athletes among the 200 competitors expected to take part in the event. She called it "an awful reflection on Londonderry. An international sporting event that should showcase our city’s hospitality and openness has instead become associated with the exclusion of athletes because they are Israeli."
The Israelis were expected to face several protest demonstrations. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said in a statement that authorities had "became aware of potential protest activity in relation to the event through social media."
Other protests have also been held against upcoming Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel. Ireland's home match against Israel on October 4 will be played behind closed doors in Serbia, while the blue-and-white team will first host Northern Ireland in Hungary on September 27.