A top cycling team has been urged to remove “Israel” from its name in the face of pro-Palestinian protests.
The title sponsor of Israel Premier Tech, which competes in races around the world including the Tour de France, said on Thursday it expects the team to be rebranded.
Premier Tech said in a statement to The Associated Press, “The current situation regarding the team’s name is no longer tenable, keeping us from fulfilling our goal and the very reason why we are involved in cycling.”
Riders were targeted at the recent Spanish Vuelta, disrupting the Grand Tour event. Spain’s government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage this month when protestors criticized the presence of Israel Premier Tech.
Premier Tech is a multinational company based in Quebec, Canada. It is the title sponsor of the cycling team co-owned by Israeli Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams.
It said talks had taken place with the team and its partners over its concerns.
“The outcome of these discussions will be decisive in determining whether Premier Tech maintains its commitment to the team moving forward,” it said. “We expect the team to evolve toward a new name excluding ‘Israel,’ leading to a new identity and branding for the team.”
The Spanish Vuelta turned into a diplomatic battleground and was repeatedly disrupted by protests against Israel Premier Tech.
Midway through the race the team removed its name from its uniforms, saying the decision was “in the interest of prioritizing the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, in light of the dangerous nature of some protests at Vuelta.”
Yet protests persisted — culminating in the mass demonstration in Madrid, which meant the race had to be cut short by about 30 miles.
Frustration with Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza is spreading across the sports landscape in Europe: sources told the Associated Press on Thursday that the European soccer body UEFA is moving toward a vote to suspend Israeli teams.
A majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is expected to support any vote in favor of suspending Israeli teams from international play.
Such a step would prevent Israeli national and club teams from playing in international competitions, including next year’s World Cup. Israel’s men’s team is set to resume its World Cup qualifying campaign in two weeks with away games against Norway and Italy.
It is unclear whether the world soccer body FIFA will support excluding Israel, given the close relations between FIFA’s leader, Gianni Infantino, and President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration’s support to secure the World Cup, and process visas for players, officials and potentially hundreds of thousands of visiting fans, is seen as key to FIFA delivering a successful tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico next year.
A State Department spokesperson said it will work to stop any efforts that try to ban Israel’s team from the World Cup.
FIFA’s ruling council is scheduled to meet in Zurich next week. The 37-member council includes eight from UEFA.
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