Protesters advocating for Palestine have gathered at an international softball tournament in South Surrey.
On Wednesday, July 3, an email advisory was sent out announcing the gathering of “community members and athletes” to protest the participation of the Israeli national team in the Canada Cup Women’s International Softball Championship in Surrey. The protesters called for the Canada Cup to take action against Israel’s involvement in the tournament.
The protest is scheduled to coincide with a game between Team Canada and Team Israel at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The email mentioned that calls for Israel to be held accountable for its occupation of Palestine through sports institutions have been ongoing within the global civil society BDS movement. Many sporting organizations have also supported the boycott of Israeli sporting teams.
Organizer Dania Barakat expressed disappointment and anger in the email, calling for Canada to end its support for Israel and impose sanctions until the occupation of Palestine ends. Attendees of the protest are expected to demand a boycott and ban on Israeli national teams and representatives from participating in international competitions, including the Canada Cup.
In response, Greg Timm, chair of the Canada Cup Host Committee, emphasized that the tournament is apolitical and invites the official national teams of each country to participate. It is ultimately up to each federation to decide whether to accept the invitation. Timm also stated that Israel is in good standing with senior softball organizations, the International Olympic Committee, and the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
