Israeli team out of top Italian cycling race over Gaza war protest concerns

Due to concerns over public safety, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team has been cut out of the upcoming Giro dell’Emilia competition in Italy, according to race organizers.

Following the recent disruptions by pro-Palestinian protesters who took to the streets of Madrid to protest Israel-Premier Tech’s participation, the race’s final stage was canceled, according to the decision made on Saturday.

Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which almost 66 000 Palestinians have died in an operation that the UN has hailed as a “genocide,” more people have been calling for its inclusion in international sporting events, festivals, and music competitions.

The one-day Giro dell’Emilia will take place on October 4 and will finish in Bologna, with Adriano Amici, organiser of the event, saying, “It is with regret that I have to forgo the participation of the Team this year” in light of recent events and given the characteristics of the final circuit, for the safety of all athletes, technical staff, and spectators.

Amici told the Reuters news agency, “We had to make this decision for reasons of public security.”

“The Israel Tech riders and others are in too much danger,” he said. The final circuit of the race is five times, he said, raising the risk of the race being interrupted.

During a nationwide strike in Italy called by trade unions to protest Israel’s genocide in Gaza, police in Milan and pro-Palestinian protesters clashed on Monday.

The Madonna di San Luca sanctuary, which is close to Bologna’s historic center, where there is a large student population and a long history of left-wing politics, is where the Giro dell’Emilia race ends.

The center-left Democratic Party-controlled Bologna’s local government demanded Israel-Premier Tech’s inclusion in the race, citing the Israeli government’s role in perpetrating “grave crimes against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.”

The city’s sport councillor, Roberta Li Calzi, applauded the city’s decision to omit the Israeli team, which is owned by Israeli-Canadian property developer Sylvan Adams.

The World Jewish Congress refers to Adams as the “committed to promoting Israel’s global image” as the president of the Israel region.

According to a statement from Calzi, “it would have been hypocritical to view the presence of a team connected to this]Israeli] government as insignificant.”

Israel is being under increasing pressure from all sides for its brutal war and continued disregard for international orders to end Palestinian human rights.

The governing body of European football, UEFA, is expected to decide soon whether to axe Israel’s men’s football team from all competitions that fall under its purview from the country. The men’s side is currently attempting to qualify for the World Cup in 2020. If a majority of the 20-member UEFA ruling committee decides to forbid Israel from games, it is anticipated to do so.