December 31 (Reuters) - Following a campaign by pro-Palestinian organisations, Israeli athletes will not be allowed to compete in the World Indoor Bowls Championships in England next month.
Jewish representatives and a local lawmaker denounced the decision.
In a statement, the World Bowls Tour said that the participation of Israeli bowlers in the August Scottish International Open had resulted in "a significant escalation in related political concerns."
"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," it stated.
"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."
Daniel Alomin is eliminated from the singles draw as a result of the decision, and Amnon Amar and Itai Rigbi are paired.
According to the Norfolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the action was the outcome of a coordinated effort by Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card and Scottish Sports for Palestine.
At the Great Yarmouth constituency, which hosts the championships at Hopton-on-Sea, Rupert Lowe, a member of parliament for the populist Reform party, declared on X that he was "genuinely disgusted" and would oppose it.
"Overt act of discrimination against Israeli participants, who are excluded solely on the basis of their nationality" was deemed unacceptable by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
The WBT underlined that it was not associated with World Bowls, the established international federation based in Melbourne that hosts the competitive World Bowls Indoor Championships, and that it had made the choice on its own.
"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," said the statement.
According to Palestinian health experts, Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed over 45,500 Palestinians and left a large portion of the territory in ruins.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli estimates.
