Irish Sports for Palestine are calling a protest at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin at 4.00pm on Sunday 21 Jan.
The Irish Women’s Basketball Team are due to play in a four-nation International Tournament involving a team from Israel.
Basketball Ireland have, so far, resisted appeals to either boycott this tournament or insist that Israel be forced to withdraw to allow other teams to compete with a clear conscience. They have stated that this tournament is important as a qualifying round, with support from the Government Dept. of Sport and Tourism, making their position clearly one of support for Israeli participation in International Sport. This is totally the opposite of supporting the banning of Russia from participation over its invasion of Ukraine.
Israel has long pursued a policy of sportswashing. Making itself out as being an honest participant in international events and supporter of the Olympic ideal. This is a complete fabrication, when considering the ongoing apartheid treatment of Palestinian people and of course the latest atrocities against women and children. One only has to look at the obvious genocide and annihilation of Palestinians to see the true nature of the Israeli regime.
An increasing number of individual prominent Irish athletes from a wide variety of sports are joining the already outspoken positions of several football teams that have come out to show support for the resistance to Israeli indiscriminate killing of helpless civilians and their attempts to suppress news coverage by the killing of over one hundred journalists.
Irish Sports Governing bodies should follow this leadership demonstrated by its members and join the call to stop the killing and continued oppression.
Join us with Teachers for Palestine and Mothers Against Genocide at the protest this Sunday at 4pm Tymon Nth Rd. Tallaght D24.
