Israeli athletes refused visas to Malaysia for squash world championship
The Abraham Accords memo apparently hasn’t reached Malaysia.
The Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation is refusing to issue visas to Israeli squash players to participate in the sport’s world championship next month.
The World Squash Federation said it is aware of the situation.
“The WSF is committed to the principle of open and inclusive world championships in which all member nations who wish to participate are welcome to do so,” the governing body said, adding that it is hoped “a fair and practical solution can be achieved.”
Malaysia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, was stripped of the right to host the World Para Swimming Championships for threatening to refuse Israeli athletes in 2019 and also banned Israeli windsurfers in 2015.
“I find it impossible to believe that in this modern era, there is still a place for discrimination, as well as the mixing of political considerations and sport,” Chili Tropper, Israel’s minister of Sport and Culture, said in a statement.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
