International bowls federation drops ban on Israelis at UK competition after outrage

World Bowls Tour says it added ‘significant’ security to upcoming indoor championship, acknowledges ‘difficult time for all involved’ as it reverses initial banning of 3 bowlers

Illustrative: A competitor rolls a bowl at the 2022 World Indoor Bowls Championship, which took place between January 7 and 23, 2022, in Hopton-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, England. (Screen capture: Youtube/Guardian Sport, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Illustrative: A competitor rolls a bowl at the 2022 World Indoor Bowls Championship, which took place between January 7 and 23, 2022, in Hopton-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, England. (Screen capture: Youtube/Guardian Sport, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The World Bowls Tour on Tuesday reversed its decision to ban Israelis from competing in an international competition in England in January, following uproar from Jewish representatives and a local lawmaker who blasted the global bowls federation for acquiescing to the “pro-Palestine mob” that urged the boycott.

The ban, which had cited tensions following Israeli bowlers’ involvement in a previous tournament, was the latest instance of a growing cultural boycott on Israelis and Jews amid the war in Gaza. It would have removed Daniel Alomin from the singles draw and pairs players Amnon Amar and Itai Rigbi.

On Tuesday, WBT wrote on Facebook that the federation and its partners are “delighted to advise that significant additional security measures have been put in place for the forthcoming World Indoor Bowls Championships.”

“This means that we will now be able to welcome as competitors, Daniel Alomin in the World Open Singles and Amnon Amar and Itai Rigbi in the World Open Pairs,” read the statement.

“The WBT acknowledges that this has been a difficult time for all involved and we are pleased that we have been able to achieve an outcome that includes players for all supporting countries,” it added.

Announcing the ban over the weekend, the WBT had said that Israeli bowlers’ involvement at the Scottish International Open in August had produced “significant escalation in related political concerns.”

Illustrative: pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists and supporters wave flags and hold placards as they pass through central London, during a March for Palestine on October 5, 2024. (Justin Tallis / AFP)

“As a result of the intensity of the situation, the WBT Board, in consultation with our event partners and other relevant stakeholders, has made the difficult decision to withdraw the invitation for Israel to participate in the forthcoming World Indoor Championships,” the WBT had said.

It added that “bowls is, and always has been, a sport that unites people and this choice reflects our commitment to protecting the championships and ensuring they run smoothly for everyone involved.”

The Norfolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign had said the ban was the result of its joint action with Scottish Sports for Palestine and Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card.

Rupert Lowe, member of parliament for the populist Reform party in the Great Yarmouth constituency that hosts the championships in Hopton-on-Sea, condemned the ban, saying that the “aggressive and entitled pro-Palestine mob” had to be “resisted” and adding that Israeli competitors were welcome in his constituency.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews also slammed the “overt act of discrimination against Israeli participants, who are excluded solely on the basis of their nationality.”

The World Bowls Tour is one of several international federations that hold competitions of the sport, in which competitors try to roll a ball called a “bowl” as close as possible to a smaller bowl known as a “jack.”

World Bowls — a Melbourne-based, internationally recognized federation that organizes the rival World Bowls Indoor Championships — distanced itself from the World Bowls Tour following the boycott of Israel, and stressed that the two federations were unaffiliated.

“World Bowls has 60 member countries from across the world including Israel and all of our members continue to be welcome and eligible to participate in all World Bowls-staged events,” the Melbourne-based group said.

Anti-Israel activists have clamored for a boycott of the country in protest of the war in Gaza. In Britain, a prominent Jewish philanthropist announced last month that she would stop volunteering at art institutions amid growing calls for them to cut ties with her.

The ongoing war was sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.

Hamas’s health ministry says more than 45,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far. The toll, which cannot be independently verified, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel during the Hamas onslaught.

Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.

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