Israel Cycling Team Barred from Italian Race amid Anger over Gaza Massacres
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Organizers of Italy’s Giro dell’Emilia have banned the Zionist team Israel-Premier Tech from competing, citing security risks as outrage mounts across Europe over the regime’s genocidal war on Gaza.
The exclusion was announced Saturday after recent pro-Palestinian protests disrupted the Vuelta a Espana, where Israel-Premier Tech had been a main target.
The one-day Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for October 4, ends in Bologna, where organizers feared large protests against Israel’s ongoing assault on Palestinians.
On Monday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with police in Milan during a nationwide strike organized by Italian unions in protest against Israel’s massacre of civilians in Gaza.
“Following recent events and given the characteristics of the final circuit, for the safety of all athletes, technical staff, and spectators, I have had to forgo the participation of the Team this year,” race president Adriano Amici told Reuters.
“We find it extremely regrettable that threats of violence have disrupted our sport,” a spokesperson for Israel-Premier Tech told Reuters, adding that talks with organizers had continued for days. “We wish the organizers a successful race.”
The decision comes as international institutions escalate pressure on Israel.
A UN Commission of Inquiry reported last week that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.
UN experts have called for Israel’s suspension from international football, and UEFA is preparing an emergency vote on banning Israel from European competition.
Israeli regime is currently on trial at the International Court of Justice in The Hague for crime of genocide after the October 7, 2023 attack that killed more than 64,000 Palestinian people during relentless bombardments since then, while a global food monitor has confirmed famine conditions in parts of the besieged enclave.
Israel-Premier Tech, which removed its branding from riders’ jerseys during the Vuelta a Espana, is now under pressure from sponsors to change its name for the next season.
