There have been growing calls internationally for Israel to be isolated from world sports amid its ongoing genocide in Gaza that has resulted in the killings of over 61,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
Jordanian tennis player Abdellah Shelbayh has reportedly withdrawn from a tournament in Greece after being drawn to face an Israeli player.
The official website of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) indicated the match at the 50-point Hersonissos Challenger tournament had been “cancelled” and listed Italian player Filippo Moroni as his replacement, according to reports.
🇯🇴 🎾 Jordanian tennis player Abdullah Shelbayh, 21, has withdrawn from the 50-point Hersonissos Challenger tournament in Greece after being drawn to face an ‘Israeli’ player in the Round of 32.
Read more: https://t.co/u11tvu7gjA pic.twitter.com/iDGuVsOome
— Roya News English (@RoyaNewsEnglish) August 12, 2025
The 21-year-old Shelbayh recently rose 33 places in the world rankings to 353 after a winning streak that included seven of his last ten matches in three tournaments, Al-Jazeera reported.
His decision to withdraw from the tournament has been met with praise on social media platforms, with one movement against normalization with Israel calling his move an “honorable stance.”
يتوجّه تجمع اتحرّك لمجابهة التطبيع بالتحيّة والتقدير للاعب التنس الأرضي الأردني عبد الله شلباية، على موقفه المشرّف بانسحابه من بطولة “خيرسونيس تشالنجر” اليونانية، بعد أن أوقعته القرعة في مواجهة لاعب من الكيان الصهيوني.#اتحرك #قاطع pic.twitter.com/UKhEHPu0yu
— اتحرّك (@Move_Boycott) August 13, 2025
Jordanian Basketball Team
A few weeks ago, the Jordanian U-19 national basketball team withdrew from its match against Israel in the World Cup held in the Swiss city of Debenza.
The Jordan Basketball Association said in a statement at the time that “based on correspondence between the Jordan Basketball Association and the International Federation (FIBA) regarding the match between our national U-19 team and the Israeli national team in the World Cup held in Switzerland, the Jordan Basketball Association has requested that the match not be played,” the report stated.
We commend the Jordan Basketball Federation for refusing to play against apartheid Israel in #FIBAU19 tournament as a stand against Israel’s ongoing Gaza genocide & 77-year apartheid.
We thank all those who mobilized against the match.https://t.co/N9PvUfGeZM#BanIsrael pic.twitter.com/pByBGAgEOR
— PACBI – BDS movement (@PACBI) July 1, 2025
The statement added, “Based on the above, FIBA has decided not to hold the match between the two sides, and a decision will be made to count the result in favor of the opposing team.”
The Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement welcomed the decision by the Jordanian team, saying “FIBA, the governing body of world basketball, has a moral and legal obligation to exclude apartheid Israel, just as apartheid South Africa was banned, rather than put international teams in the position to have to forfeit their matches.”
BDS called on “all sports teams and players to support the Palestinian call to exclude Israel from international sports and refuse to play against its teams.”
Ongoing Genocide
There have been growing calls internationally for Israel to be isolated from world sports amid its ongoing genocide in Gaza that has resulted in the killings of over 61,700 Palestinians and the injury of more than 154,500 others, since October 2023.
Over 700 Gaza War Crimes Reports Filed in Sweden amid Ongoing Investigations
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, AJA)
Good. Of course the Israeli Jewish Nazis will call him and anyone who supports him and/or his decision, an antisemite. Nope. It’s just that no one wants to be associated with people who applaud the death of every Gazan child. That isn’t antisemitism, that’s called, humanity…
Gratifying to see this happening in the sports world. No one of honor will support Israel even in sports. ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS ISRAEL IS A MONSTER.
I am proud Abdellah Shelbayh rejected “Israel”! While “Foodies” in Jordan gorge with super start chefs while ignore starved Gazans (https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/jordanians-outraged-gourmet-food-festival-while-gaza-starves) in the name of – tourism!?
anti-semitism is a LIE when it is used by israel or the usa… Palestinians are More Semitic than most of the jews in israel who are from eastern europe and have intermarried with Slavs for centuries. The REAL anti-semites And the REAL Terrorists are the usa and zionist israel as is now clearly understood by 99% of the Human Race!!