NBA removes reference to occupied territories from its website
Israel's sport minister Miri Regev praises the U.S. Basketball league for taking down the phrase
Israel’s Culture and Sport minister praised National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver for removing a reference to Palestinian “occupied territories” from the NBA’s website.
A section of the NBA website allowing fans from around the world to vote for their favourite players to play in the upcoming All-Star game offered “Palestine – occupied territory” as an option for the voter to select as his or her country of residence.
Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev sent a strongly worded letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver demanding that he “immediately act” to change the listing.
“I view the inclusion of ‘Occupied Palestine’ in the list of countries appearing on your official website as legitimising the division of the State of Israel and as gross and blatant interference, in contrast to the official position of the American administration and the declarations of President Donald Trump, who just recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Regev wrote in a letter to Silver last week asking that the reference on the website be changed.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely also sent a letter of protest to the NBA which read, in part: “This week, U.S. Ambassador Friedman called for the cessation of the use of the term ‘occupied’ in regard to Judea and Samaria, and an important sports league such as the NBA should respect this view.” Judea and Samaria is the Hebrew term referring to the West Bank.
The NBA responded that the country list was provided by a third party, and that as soon as it was aware of the controversy it made the appropriate change. The NBA also apologised.
The website now offers “Palestinian territories” as an option.
Regev praised Silver for his quick response, saying in a statement that he has “proven his integrity and decency.”
She met with Silver in July, when they arranged for a delegation of NBA starts to come to Israel in April 2018 as part of Israel’s 70th Independence Day celebrations.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
