Israel can't compete in ice hockey championships owing to security concerns, says IIHF

Israel has been restricted by the International Ice Hockey Federation from competing in its world championship event. The IIHF has cited security concerns for its decision to bar the country from the sporting event. “The ruling council has decided to restrict Israeli National Team from participating in IIHF Championships until the safety and well-being of all participants (including Israeli participants) can be assured,” the Internal Ice Hockey Federation said in a statement. IIHF further said the council has taken the decision after “careful consideration and based on a risk assessment, discussions with the participating countries and discussions with the hosts.” ‘For the time being’ The federation further said Israel will remain excluded “for the time being,” but the statement did not specific if any other country had objected to playing against Israel and did not even make any mention of Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since 7 October, 2023. Israel launched a war against Hamas in Gaza after the 7 October massacre in which some 3,000 Hamas terrorists breached the border, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians slaughtered in their homes and at a music festival. Another 240 people were taken hostage in Gaza. For the unversed, the IIHF world championships are structured into a series of tiers and national teams of Israel usually play in lower-division events with barely much spectators and little media exposure. The Israeli men’s national team was scheduled to play a Division II-A world championship tournament in Serbia in April against teams including Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The Israel women’s national team was expected to play a Division III-B world championship event in Estonia in March against opponents including Bosnia-Herzegovina and Indonesia. Not the first time In 2023, the IIHF had suspended Russia and Belarus from competition following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That time too, the federation used similar language and cited safety and security to support its decision. With inputs from Times of Israel