Organizers of an international frisbee tournament in Belgium have announced that the Israeli team is barred from participating due to security concerns related to anti-Israel protests.
The European Ultimate Federation made the decision after postponing all matches on Tuesday, which was supposed to be the opening day of the European Youth Ultimate Championship 2024 in Gent, Belgium. The delay followed anti-Israel activists spray-painting slogans on a tournament venue in the nearby village of De Pinte.
In a statement, the Federation explained that the municipality of Gent “prohibits the participation of the Israeli delegation,” as well as “the presence of the Israeli delegation” and “any references related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
“We are disappointed to have to make this sad announcement and for the overall outcome for all teams who have worked so hard to train and get to the event. We must, however, respect and follow the instructions given by the authorities,” the statement read.
The tournament is set to resume today without the 33 Israeli athletes who traveled to Belgium for the event, which includes hundreds of competitors from 11 countries.
A decree issued by Gent’s city government cited a “high risk of public order disruption due to the presence of an Israeli” and noted that “organizations oppose Israel’s participation in the tournament due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.”
