The Olympic Committee of Israel received confirmation on Wednesday that the Israeli national ice hockey team will be allowed to take part in a world championship in Bulgaria next week, Israel Hayom reports.
Last week, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that the Israeli team had been banned from competitions due to “security concerns”.
The Israel Ice Hockey Federation had appealed the decision but, some eight hours before a legal hearing in an international court on the matter, the Olympic Committee and the Ice Hockey Federation of Israel received an official letter that there was no longer fear that Israelis would be subject to discrimination and exclusion and therefore they were invited to the contest.
Yael Arad, Chairwoman of the Olympic Committee of Israel, told Israel Hayom, "We are very excited about the announcement of the international federation that it is reversing its decision and inviting the Israeli team to participate in the tournament in Bulgaria.”
She added, “Many people, many good people from around the world were part of this campaign, including the Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria, the deputy director of public diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israeli Embassy in France, the Anti-Defamation League, and, of course, attorney Dahlia Bushinsky who spearheaded the legal challenge along with Attorney Gil Atar, legal counsel to the committee, and the entire staff of the Olympic Committee who worked day and night to prevent this exclusion. This is not only a victory for Israeli sport but also for the people of Israel."