B’nai B’rith International President Gary P. Saltzman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B´nai B´rith International continues to be outraged by the successful elevation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement into the world of sports. The reverberations of Argentina’s cancellation of the match between its national team and an Israeli soccer team are still being felt.
It is an affront to the nature of sports competition that the Argentine national soccer team and their families have faced threats of violence in order to gain the cancellation of the friendly game between Argentina and Israel. Sports can serve as a platform for unity and therefore, it’s particularly unfortunate that this soccer match, between two soccer-loving nations, has been politicized. Cancelling the match sends the wrong message.
The use of violent threats to players and families, the public burning of equipment of a national team and the call to other violent actions is the method terrorists use to succeed in their goals through fear and harassment.
B´nai B´rith International hopes that in the future the soccer teams of Argentina and Israel will be able to play a friendly game in Israel and show that terrorism must be faced and defeated.
B´nai B´rith International continues to be outraged by the successful elevation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement into the world of sports. The reverberations of Argentina’s cancellation of the match between its national team and an Israeli soccer team are still being felt.
It is an affront to the nature of sports competition that the Argentine national soccer team and their families have faced threats of violence in order to gain the cancellation of the friendly game between Argentina and Israel. Sports can serve as a platform for unity and therefore, it’s particularly unfortunate that this soccer match, between two soccer-loving nations, has been politicized. Cancelling the match sends the wrong message.
The use of violent threats to players and families, the public burning of equipment of a national team and the call to other violent actions is the method terrorists use to succeed in their goals through fear and harassment.
B´nai B´rith International hopes that in the future the soccer teams of Argentina and Israel will be able to play a friendly game in Israel and show that terrorism must be faced and defeated.
