Israeli athletes no longer participating in Derry Triathalon
The Derry Anti War Coalition said it is “delighted” that the triathletes from Israel will no longer be participating in the City of Derry Triathlon.
A spokesperson for the group said: “The organic, grass roots campaign to prevent them is a huge victory for common sense and for the BDS movement.Derry people spoke out in one unified voice and thankfully the organisers of the event have listened.
“The Derry Anti War Coalition thanks the organisers for listening. We are indebted to all the organisations who came together at a moments notice to back our call for the City of Derry Triathlon to rescind their invitations to Israeli athletes.
In an official statement, the North West Triathalon Club said: “[It} became aware of a number of Israeli athletes on the Senior Elite Men’s provisional entry list when it was published on the World Triathlon website.
“NWTC, its club committee and its grassroots membership had no involvement whatsoever in accepting or approving these international entries. International registration was handled through World Triathlon and was outside the control of NWTC.
“NWTC immediately made strong representations to Triathlon Ireland and Europe Triathlon and made clear in the strongest possible terms that it could not support their participation in the circumstances.
“𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁, 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆.”
The Derry Anti War Coalition added: “The Derry public can always be depended on to raise a collective voice against injustice and there is no greater injustice than the treatment of Palestinians.
“Lessons need to be learned from this. BDS principles should be at the heart of all planned events within our city and district, not a panicked afterthought.Derry has spoken, this win will be celebrated far beyond these shores .We ask the FAI and the Irish government to take note of what happened here and heed the call to stop the game.
“The GAA take note - listen to your membership and end the association with Allianz .Huge thanks to a member of the press who alerted us to this situation and to all those who shared our call and spoke out for Palestine. “
Derry Anti War Coalition had said on Wednesday evening it was “horrified to learn that athletes from Israel will be competing at the International Triathlon being staged in Derry at the weekend”.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Their participation flies in the face of the corporate Council position of supporting BDS - Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.
These athletes will have had compulsory military service in the IDF, a force being investigated for genocide. It is beyond disgusting that these people can participate freely in sport while Palestinian athletes are maimed for life by their IDF comrades,” added the spokesperson.
“The efforts to stop Republic of Ireland v Israel soccer match has garnered international support and are overwhelmingly endorsed by the Irish people. Sport cannot be used to normalise an apartheid state guilty of genocide.
“The Derry Anti War Coalition says there should be no Israeli athletes allowed to participate in any international sporting event while Palestinians live under occupation and segregation.
“We call on all anti war and pro Palestinian groups in the city and beyond to endorse our call for these athletes to have their invitations rescinded by the organisers of ths triathlon. Participants from Derry need to step up , contact the organisers and register your disgust at having to share an event with people from a state charged with genocide. If these people from a pariah state are allowed to participate, then we ask all groups join us in peaceful protest against the event.”