How Anti Apartheid Campaigners Stopped The Israeli Netball Team
In a striking turn of events at the end of April, Europe Netball cancelled its May tournament in Cardiff just days before its scheduled start.
Originally set to take place at the Cardiff City House of Sport from 7th May to 11th May,, the Europe Netball Open was to feature teams from France, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Malta, Switzerland, Israel and the Wales under-21 side.
But amid growing outrage over Israel’s participation due to the country’s ongoing assault on Gaza – widely recognised as genocide – the tournament was called off.
The decision came after a powerful campaign led by PSC Cymru (the Welsh branches of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign) and supported by civil society organisations, community groups, and human rights advocates. A petition calling for Israel’s exclusion gathered thousands of signatures, while activists highlighted Israel’s continued violations of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But rather than suspend Israel’s team – which would have been a clear and principled course of action – Europe Netball opted to cancel the entire event instead. It meant that Welsh and European netballers were denied the opportunity to play in the tournament altogether.
In their statement on 29th April announcing the cancellation, Europe Netball failed to even mention Israel or the war in Gaza, but said: “At Europe Netball, the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in our events – players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans – is always our top priority.”
“It is with regret that we announce the cancellation of our Open Tournament at Cardiff next week.”
But it seems likely that somebody, somewhere, decided that it would have been untenable to roll out the red carpet for Israel in Cardiff while children in Gaza are being deliberately starved and killed.
The cancellation was still seen as a vindication of the argument made by activists.
“Europe Netball: you missed an opportunity to play a part in history and condemn genocide,” said former Plaid Cymru MS Bethan Sayed, who was involved in the campaign. “You’re now penalising all the other teams that wanted to come to Cardiff to take part in this tournament.”
“We said Israel Netball were not welcome due to the fact that they train on Settlement land, due to the fact that their nation is carrying out genocide at the moment against the Palestinian people.”
There was a clear legal basis to exclude Israel. The Gleneagles Agreement, a commonwealth agreement declared that member states and sports organisations “combat the evil of apartheid by withholding any form of support for, and by taking every practical step to discourage contact or competition by their nationals with sporting organisations, teams or sportsmen from South Africa or from any other country, where sports are organised on the basis of race, colour or ethnic origin.”
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act legally obligates public bodies in Wales to act in a framework of a “globally responsible” nation, supporting and promoting a positive contribution to global wellbeing.
The International Court of Justice has also found Israel in violation of international law, its occupation of Palestinian land illegal, and obliges states and organisations to not recognise or facilitate Israel’s illegal occupation.
The campaign was bolstered by support from Stop the War Cymru, Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), Na’amod Cymru (British Jews against occupation and apartheid), and Cardiff-based grassroots organisations. Momentum was building not only across civil society but among players and fans increasingly unwilling to turn a blind eye to Israel’s indefensible actions in Gaza.
PSC Cymru attempted to engage constructively with tournament organisers ahead of the cancellation, requesting dialogue with Europe Netball and Wales Netball prior to even launching its Ban Israel campaign.
Zahid Noor of PSC Cymru said: “Claims that safety concerns justified the cancellation remain unsubstantiated. We insist this excuse represents an unacceptable curtailment of the democratic right to peaceful assembly. In a democratic society, people must be free to lawfully and peacefully protest the inclusion of a team representing a state committing war crimes, whose leaders have International Criminal Court arrest warrants and is committing genocide in Gaza.”
Sporting boycotts are a time-honoured, legitimate tool of non-violent protest.
The sports boycott of apartheid South Africa played a crucial role in pressuring the regime to abandon its racist system. It isolated South Africa diplomatically, denied it the prestige of international competition, and sent a powerful message of global solidarity with the oppressed.
Campaigners invoked that same principle in their demand to suspend Israel Netball from international play. Since Israel launched its full-scale assault on Gaza in October 2023, over 700 Palestinian athletes – including Olympians – have been killed. Israel’s forces have bombed or destroyed 42 stadiums and sports facilities, including Gaza’s only international-standard venue, Yarmouk Stadium.
Once a symbol of hope, it was reportedly turned into a detention site before being levelled. Community pitches, youth clubs, and training grounds lie in rubble.
This is the reality of being a netball player in Gaza today. Where every stadium has been flattened, teammates are dead or wounded, and the sport’s very future has been extinguished.
Adding to the controversy, nearly half of Israel’s netball teams are based in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to Israel Netball, 40% of its players hail from these settlements. They are explicitly condemned by the United Nations as illegal and a major obstacle to peace.
By allowing such teams to participate, Europe Netball undermines both international law and the integrity of the global sport.
Despite Europe Netball’s public statement, many believe the cancellation was driven not only by public opposition in Wales but also by dissent within participating teams themselves.
The decision reflects a growing awareness among players, fans, and the public. People across the world are horrified by what’s happening in Gaza and refuse to stay silent.
PSC Cymru now calls on World Netball and Europe Netball to take the next step: suspend Israel Netball’s membership.
“World Netball says it wants to ‘create a better world through netball’. That starts now, with the full and permanent suspension of Israel Netball,” the group said.
This moment also serves as a wake-up call for sports and cultural institutions across Wales and the UK. If sport is to be a force for good, it must refuse to become a vehicle for sportswashing. To allow Israel to continue competing is to distract from atrocities and prolong the most serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.
As civil society mobilises, the message from Cardiff is clear: silence is no longer an option. Justice and fair play on the court begins with justice and fair play off it.