We hereby call on several international sporting organisations namely FIFA, IOC, ITF, and UEFA amongst others, to immediately ban Israel and its athletes from competing at their events.

As we know, Israel has been brutally occupying the Palestinian territories and the Palestinian people since 1967. The situation is severe and a light has been shone on the plight of innocent civilians in recent months.

Similarly, in recent years Russia has occupied Ukraine. However, the reaction and response from independent international sporting organisation has been starkly different. IOC (International Olympic Committee) banned Russia and it’s athletes (source). FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) banned Russia and Russian teams (source) (source). ITF (International Tennis Federation), and by extension WTA (Women's Tennis Association) and ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), banned Russia, with Russian athletes being now only allowed to compete under a neutral flag (source). Many other sporting organisations introduced similar bans on Russia in their respective sports (source), along with Belarus, as well as banning events from taking place in their territories.

The difference in response, sanctions, and even statements of condemnation against Israel or support and solidarity for Palestine by these very organisations is striking, alarming, and frankly shameful. The treatment and value of Palestinian lives is no less than any other and inaction of sporting organisations on this matter is clearly discriminatory, unfair, and unacceptable.

Israel’s systemic occupation of Palestine (and Syria) and its human right violations of the Palestinian people is widely documented. The ICJ (International Court of Justice) and UN (United Nations) have declared the occupation illegal and in contravention of international law (archived) (archived), as did the EU (European Union) (source) (source). The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) has also stated it is in breach of the Geneva Conventions and therefore war crimes (archived). Several other organisations including HRW (Human Right Watch), Human Rights Council, and Amnesty International have released similar messages around illegal occupation, human right violations, and apartheid (source) (source) (source) (source).

As stated in the opening line, we the signees, believe that is only fair, equal, and just to apply the same sanctions to Israel as they have done to other states for occupying nations. It is clear that the sporting organisations do not view or value the lives of Palestinians in the same manner, but we the people will not idly stand by and allow this to continue due to morals, ethics, fairness, and equality.

If the aforementioned organisations do not take action, I call on the people and other nations to do so instead by boycotting attendance, participation, viewership, and funding of sporting events for the foreseeable.