The American Jewish Committee (AJC) launched a petition calling on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to condemn the Malaysian government for barring Israeli swimmers from participating in the tournament and to move the tournament elsewhere.
The petition called the Malaysian policy “shameful” since “it runs counter to the Olympic ethos, which supports good sportsmanship and respect for fellow athletes regardless of their race, nationality, ethnicity or religion, and to the Paralympic value of equality among competitors.”
“This sentiment is codified in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Constitution, which states that “‘every National Paralympic Committee (NPC) in membership with the IPC shall have the right to… enter their athletes in the Paralympic Games and all competitions sanctioned by the IPC,’” the petition states. “Israel, which has participated in the Paralympic Games for over half a century, should be entitled to compete along with every other IPC member.”
The petition concluded by calling on the IPC to condemn Malaysia’s police, choose another country to host the tournament and ensure that, in the future, countries that host the tournament will commit to ensuring that every athlete from every country will have the change to compete.
“To allow this abhorrent policy to stand, without objection or repercussions, threatens the noble values upon which international sport relies as a vehicle for promoting peace and coexistence throughout the world,” the petition states.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt also called for the IPC to move the tournament elsewhere and receive future commitments from countries to allow all athletes to participate in a letter.
“The politicization of sporting events has unfortunately become an all too frequent occurrence for Israeli athletes,” Greenblatt wrote. “Indeed, in recent years Malaysia has refused to accommodate Israeli athletes, including denying Israeli windsurfers a visa for a 2015 competition and forfeiting hosting a 2017 FIFA conference due to the inclusion of an Israeli delegation.”
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