WJC thanks International Judo Federation for ‘unyielding stance’ against anti-Israeli moves

NEW YORK – World Jewish Congress CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer has thanked International Judo Federation (IJF) President Marius Vizer for his “honorable decision” to suspend the upcoming planned judo tournaments in Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates following the host countries’ refusal to guarantee equal rights and treatment to Israeli athletes.
 
In a letter to the IJF chairman, Singer recalled Vizer’s swift intervention at the WJC’s request in October 2017 over a similar incident involving the UAE and noted: “Demands for compliance often fall on deaf ears… it is my sincere hope that your strong position this week barring such discrimination will yield positive change going forward and serve as an effective lesson to sporting federations worldwide that such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Read the full letter from WJC CEO Singer to IJF President Vizer here
 
In the letter, Singer wrote: “The unyielding stance that you have taken against certain national associations’ repeated and blatant violations of the International Judo Federation’s guidelines prohibiting such discrimination is beyond encouraging.”
 
“Any arguments claiming that discrimination against the Israeli team can be relegated to political consideration are unfounded – when the only country in the world given such unfair treatment happens to be the only Jewish state in the world, it is clear that bigotry and hatred are at play,” Singer wrote.
 
Singer noted that since his correspondence with Vizer in 2017, the World Jewish Congress launched a joint initiative with Chelsea Football Club, under the guidance and leadership of WJC President Ronald S. Lauder and Chelsea FC Owner Roman Abramovich, to combat all forms of racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism in sports. “We are committed to spreading the message that the spirit of sport must be tolerance and respect, and building bridges, rather than divides. We look forward to working with numerous federations, associations, and clubs toward this critical and mutual goal,” Singer wrote.
 
It would be my pleasure and honor to discuss further both this initiative and other possibilities for cooperation. As always, the WJC stands ready to assist the IJF to help promote fairness and equality across the board,” Singer concluded.