The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) excluded Israel from its international competitions, for "security reasons" In response, the Israeli Ice Hockey federation chose, on January 15, to appeal this ban. On March 1, the IIHF announced that it would lift the exclusion of Israel from international tournaments.
“A dangerous precedent has been avoided and Israeli ice hockey teams will compete, unconditionally, in all competitions,” said the Israeli Football Federation in a press release. The Israeli U20 ice hockey team was competing for the Junior World Championships.