Netball body calls off tournament as a whole rather than banning Israel

Martin Shipton

The governing body of Netball in Europe has decided to call off an Open Competition it was organising in Wales rather than exclude Israel because of its slaughter of more than 52,000 people in Gaza.

Pro-Palestine groups had protested against the decision to let Israel participate in the event, which was due to go ahead at the Cardiff City House of Sport between May 7 and May 11.

But Europe Netball issued a statement on April 29 that didn’t mention Israel or the war in Gaza, but said: “At Europe Netball, the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in our events - players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans - is always our top priority.

“It is with regret that we announce the cancellation of our Open Tournament at Cardiff next week.

“This decision has not been made lightly but reflects our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our netball family and ensuring a positive experience for all.

“All those who have purchased tickets will be contacted individually regarding refunds.

“We remain dedicated to creating opportunities for the growth and the enjoyment of netball across our region and we thank you for your understanding and continued support.”

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Red cards

Former Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Bethan Sayed, now a leading pro-Palestine activist, posted a video in which she said: “Give the red cards to Netball Europe - they’re clearly offside. They are taking no responsibility for their legal obligations in holding Israel to account in relation to global international laws.

“This would have been an opportunity for Europe Netball to make that stand - to join in calling for the boycott of Israel to be excluded from this particular tournament.

“Calling it safeguarding is a cop-out. They needed to take a stand against Israel Netball and make it known that they would not be welcome as part of this tournament.

“Can you imagine for a minute if it had been Russia taking part in this tournament in Cardiff. It would have been the opposite. There would have been outcry from the political class, to not allow Russia to take part.

“But here we have it - they're using this safeguarding reason as an excuse to cancel this. We know that Israel was fundraising for security because we were going to mount peaceful protests.

“Europe Netball: you missed an opportunity to play a part in history and condemn genocide. You’re now penalising all the other teams that wanted to come to Cardiff to take part in this tournament.

“We said Israel Netball were not welcome due to the fact that they train on Settlement land, due to the fact that their nation is carrying out genocide at the moment against the Palestinian people.”

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