Israel must be excluded from sporting competitions

“The international community must use all means available to protect Palestinians from the genocide detailed in the plans of the Israeli government. The sports community must also do its part by excluding Israel from international competitions,” says President of the Finnish Student Sports Federation Akseli Haanpää.

The Federation thanks President of the Finnish Athletics Federation Riikka Pakarinen, who proposed the exclusion of Israel, for bringing this important discussion to the fore. The Finnish Student Sports Federation believes that Israel’s actions should be met with a similar response to that initiated as a result of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine; Russia and Belarus have been excluded from international student sport since spring 2022.

The International Criminal Court, Amnesty International and the UN Special Committee, to name just a few, have warned of the possibility of genocide in Gaza, which has been under siege for years. Israel, which occupies the Palestinian territories, has announced that it plans to take over Gaza in its entirety and transfer its inhabitants to third countries, in violation of international law.

For more information: President Akseli Haanpää, +358 44 7800 211, akseli.haanpaa@oll.fi