Seven Israeli chess players have withdrawn from a Spanish tournament after being told by organizers they would not be permitted to compete under their national flag, Reuters reported on Friday.
The Sestao Chess Club, which organizes the event, cited the conflict in Gaza and a desire to show solidarity with the Palestinian Arabs as the reason for its decision.
“One after another they kept pulling out and finally the last one, this very morning, decided not to come,” said Miguel Angel Olmo, president of the Sestao Chess Club. He added, “We have acted in accordance with international regulations, but we invited them not to take part and we thank them for their decision.”
The International Chess Federation (FIDE), which was not available for comment, had previously stated it was not consulted on the matter.
“FIDE had no prior knowledge of this decision, did not make any ruling on this, nor was it consulted by the organizers,” it said, according to Reuters. “FIDE strongly condemns any form of discrimination, including on the basis of nationality and flag.”
The Sestao club, which has drawn over 250 players from 33 countries, issued a statement saying, “We respect the International Chess Federation regulations for open tournaments, but we also have convictions: we have worked to find a peaceful solution, informing the players and the public, and we believe we have achieved our goal.”
The incident is the latest example of anti-Israel sentiment affecting sports in Spain. Recently, several stages of the Vuelta a Espana cycle race in Bilbao were disrupted by pro-Palestinian Arab protesters demanding the exclusion of the Israel-Premier Tech team.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)