Jordanian fencing player Iyas Al-Zumur refused to face an Israeli opponent on Saturday, at the Junior and Cadet group of the World Fencing Championships in Dubai, Arab media reported.
Etharrak, a Jordanian activist group that opposes normalization with Israel, praised Al-Zumur’s “heroic stance and principles”, saying “this is how we, young and old, know our enemy well. We refuse to contribute to polishing its image and crimes, because sport is a path to values and morals in the first place.”
A Kuwaiti athlete, Mohamed al-Fadli, refused to participate in the World Fencing Championships, which is currently taking place in Dubai, to avoid sparring with an Israeli athlete, Al Jazeera Arabic and other Middle Eastern media reported.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 9, 2022
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in Jordan also celebrated Al-Zumur’s position, posting on Twitter:
“A salute to the Jordanian fencing player, Iyas Al-Zumur, for his refusal to meet a Zionist player in the World Junior Fencing Championship”.
The Jordanian player’s move comes only one week after the Kuwaiti fencing player Mohammad Al-Fadil refused to face an Israeli opponent in the group stage of the World Fencing Championships held in Dubai.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
All the Arab countries are so afraid of Israel.