ZURICH (AP) — The International Ice Hockey Federation has banned Israel from participating in the world championship tournament, citing safety concerns.
In a statement released by the IIHF on Wednesday, the board of directors “has decided to restrict the participation of the Israeli national team in the IIHF Championship until the safety and health of all participants (including Israeli participants) is ensured. I did,” he said.
“The IIHF Board made this decision after careful consideration and based on a risk assessment, consultation with participating countries, and consultation with host countries.”
The statement did not say whether other countries objected to playing against Israel, nor did it mention playing against Israel. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war In Gaza. The IIHF said Israel would remain excluded “for the foreseeable future.”
The IIHF previously used similar language regarding safety and security to support its decision last year to suspend Russia and Belarus from competition following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The IIHF World Championship is comprised of a series of weight classes, and the Israeli national team typically plays in lower-division events with sparse crowds and less media exposure.
The Israeli men's national team was scheduled to compete in the Division II-A World Championship tournament in Serbia in April, where they would face teams from Australia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. The Israeli women's national team was scheduled to compete in the Division III-B World Championship in Estonia in March, playing against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Indonesia.
___
AP Sports: https://apnews.com/Sports
