The South African Rugby Union decides to boycott Israel: After the Tel Aviv Heat team was invited to participate in an international league in South Africa, last Friday the South African Union decided to withdraw the invitation and not to participate in the team from Israel in the event.
"We have listened to the views of important interest groups and made this decision to avoid the likelihood that the competition will become a source of division, despite the fact that Israel is a full member of world rugby," said Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union.
Standing up for BDS: the South African Rugby Union boycotts Israel,
Today (Tuesday), MK Dan Iloz addressed the South African ambassador in Israel following the cancellation of an Israeli team's participation in the tournament as a result of calls from the BDS movement: "A partner in the vision of freedom is expected to fight the boycott movement and not surrender to it.
Sport is a bridge to friendship and must be allowed to rise above petty and divisive politics."
The reaction of Ofer Fabian, chairman of the rugby union to "Israel Hayom": "Soon there will be a conversation with the ambassador in Pretoria and several avenues of response are being examined.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is leading the move with the Zionist Organization of the DRAP and Friends of Israel." There is no place for politics in sports and it is a shame that a leading association in a country with a glorious tradition of rugby (the reigning world champions) does not follow this well-known rule.
"The Israeli Rugby Union is proud to include players in its ranks without discrimination due to religion, race, gender or sexual orientation. With us, Christian and Muslim Arabs play with Druze and Jews and we even have selected Israeli players from various sectors."
"Israel rugby was the first to cross the bridge of the Abraham Accords and participate in a friendly tournament with our friends in the United Arab Emirates. We believe in sports as a mechanism for bringing hearts together."
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