Sports commissioner Glenn MICALLEF condemned the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza and said the sports world was to be expressed.
“With regard to sport, I think that there should not be room for sporting events for those who do not share our values,” he told Politico without directly appointing Israel, in response to a question of whether the country should face sports sanctions during the Gaza War. “Sport is a tool that we use to promote peace, through which we promote human rights.”
“On the other hand, the sport movement is autonomous and they make their own decisions,” added Micallef. “But we have a duty and we are responsible for talking about these questions and making our feelings known.”
Israel launched its military assault on Gaza after the cross -border raid of the Hamas militant group on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and other nationalities. More than 50,000 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli offensive, with hundreds of thousands of others in the face of famine and entire diseases and cities, from Khan Yunis to Rafah, reduced in rubble.
The sports world has seen repeated calls to boycott Israel’s participation in international competitions, from the World Cup Olympic Games, although such proposals have so far been widely rejected.
Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song competition was also castigated, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on May 19, calling on the country to be excluded from these events. “We cannot allow standard doubles, not even in culture”, ” He said.