Alan Dershowitz leads legal bid against Arab discrimination of Israelis at sporting events

Renowned law Professor seeking to ensure competitors from the Jewish state can fully participate at events held by Arab countries

Renowned Harvard law Professor Alan Dershowitz is leading a legal charge to ensure Arab countries allow Israeli competitors to participate under the Israeli flag in sports tournaments they host.

The international court case involves Israeli parliamentarian Yoel Razvozov, who captained Israel’s Judo team and represented his country at the Olympics.

In October, an Israeli judoka sang Israel’s national anthem to himself after winning gold at the judo grand slam in the United Arab Emirates. He was also prohibited from displaying the Israeli flag, instead having to compete under the banner of the International Judo Federation (IJF).

Dershowitz said: “It may begin in sports but it doesn’t end in sports. If this is allowed to continue in sports it will spread to other areas. It is part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) approach and tactic and we have to stop it at its core.”

Razvozov said: “It is humiliating for the country and it is a capitulation to extremism. The Arab world is using sport as a political tool against Israel’s very existence.”