The International Paralympics Committee (IPC) announced on Sunday that Malaysia will no longer be hosting the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships due to their ban of Israeli athletes from participating.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement, “All World Championships must be open to all eligible athletes and nations to compete safely and free from discrimination.”
“When a host country excludes athletes from a particular nation, for political reasons, then we have absolutely no alternative but to look for a new Championships host,” Parsons continued.
Israeli Foreign Ministry Ambassador David Roet praised the IPC’s decision in a Times of Israel blog post.
“This sets an example for all international organizations: they must send a clear message to all who believe they can intimidate, boycott, disinvite or even isolate Israel from international events,” Roet wrote.
Both the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee also praised the IPC’s move:
We welcome this action by the @Paralympics responding to Malaysia’s refusal to host Israeli athletes. The IPC’s decision represents the games’ true values of inclusivity and diversity in the face of Malaysia’s anti-Israel bigotry. https://t.co/G8BjSWOvpv
— ADL (@ADL) January 28, 2019
We were proud to lead the worldwide effort to relocate the championships to a country willing to welcome athletes of all nationalities. Thousands of people from over 70 countries joined our call, including individuals from Iran, Iraq, and Malaysia itself. https://t.co/VcvAvVjXs8
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) January 27, 2019
The Malaysian government is standing by their decision to bar Israeli athletes from participating in the competition.
“If hosting an international sporting event is more important than standing up for our Palestinian brothers and sisters who get murdered, maimed and tortured by the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regime, that means Malaysia has truly loss its moral compass,” Syed Saddiq Ryed Abdul Rahman, the Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports, said in a statement. “Malaysia stands firm with our decision on the ground of humanity and compassion for the Palestinian plight. We will not compromise.”
It has not yet been decided as to where the competition will be held; the deadline for countries to apply as the host is Feb. 11. The event is a qualifying match for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
