Using as an example the treatment given athletes and Russian teams, which were prevented from competing in various modalities with the colors of their country due to the invasion of Russia over the territory of Ukraine, the Spanish government spokeswoman, Pillar Alegria, suggested that the same measures be applied to Israeli due to war in Gaza. In her speech, she hinted that the Israel-Premier Tech team should not compete on the return of Spain (traditional road cycling competition).
“What we are living now is a massacre, it is a genocide. We are seeing children and babies starving and we have more than 60,000 dead. It is a dramatic situation, and it is important that sport shows a position at least similar to what we saw with Russia,” said Alegría, also Minister of Education and Sports.
Faced with the scenario of tension due to the conflict that has reaped the lives of thousands, joy has rigorously demanded from the authorities on the subject for a decision to be made.
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“In this case, the competitions are held by UCI (Union Cyclist International), and the decision should be shared by the COI (International Olympic Committee), as an Olympic sport. Given the situation we live, of such gravity, we need to make a position and a decision,” he said.
The traditional cycling test, which is due to end on Sunday in Madrid, is being interrupted daily by pro-Palestinian demonstrations against the Israel-Premier Tech team, forcing organizers to shorten some steps, as in Bilbao last week and Pontevedra on Tuesday.
The team created by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, which has only one cyclist of Israeli nationality. As a precaution, he had to change uniforms and was instructed to remove any mention of the country to “prioritize his safety” and also “the whole platoon”, according to information from AFP.
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These protests occur amid increased tensions between Israel and Spain, one of Europe’s most critical countries regarding the situation in Gaza. Pedro Sánchez’s left government recognized the state of Palestine in May 2024 and has just announced new measures to “end genocide in Gaza”.
