The Israel Paralympic Committee has filed a complaint with wheelchair basketball’s international governing body, according to the Israeli organization’s head, after members of Britain’s team turned their backs while “Hatikvah” played before a game this month.
The incident occurred on August 16 ahead of a match at the Wheelchair Basketball Nations Cup in Cologne, with the British players turning away from the Israeli flag during Israel’s national anthem in an apparent protest against the war with Hamas in Gaza.
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The Israeli players did not seem to notice the protest in real time as they were facing away from the British team, which went on to win the game.
Speaking Sunday with Channel 13 news, Moshe Matalon Channel 13 news denounced the British squad’s “shameful” conduct, saying “this cannot be allowed to pass.”
“We will not allow the world to forget October 7,” Matalon added, referring to the Hamas-led terror onslaught in 2023 that started the ongoing war in Gaza.
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Members of the Israeli squad who spoke with the network also denounced the British team’s “embarrassing” behavior and called for politics to be left off the court.
A spokesperson for British Wheelchair Basketball told UK media outlets that the organization “is aware of the incident during the Israeli national anthem at the Nations Cup.”
“We are continuing discussions internally after conversations with Paralympics GB, IWBF, and the Israeli Paralympic Committee,” it added.
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