An Israeli team was rejected from a homeless soccer tournament in Norway due to security concerns, according to the Homeless World Cup Foundation and Salvation Army Norway.In a letter to the Israel Home Base team, the HWCF said its policies on participation from countries in active conflicts had affected reception for teams from Russia, Ukraine, and Israel.The political sensitivities of welcoming such countries would put too much pressure on host countries. The organization assured that it still considered Home Base a valuable member of its network.
“We are deeply sorry that such events out of our control have to affect a sporting event. However, we need to be mindful of additional resources that your participation at Oslo would require, namely heightened security arrangements to ensure the safety of the Israeli team,” said HWCF. “Our thoughts are with you as we wish for a speedy return to a peaceful future.”
Critical of choices
Norwegian pro-Israel organization Med Israel for Fred was critical of the decision, noting that in October 2023, Ukraine had participated in the homeless soccer tournament despite fighting the Russian invasion.Home Base, an association that provides therapeutic rehabilitative work for the homeless, said on Facebook on Thursday that it was disappointed by what it said was the continued boycott of Israel.“This is a huge disappointment for me, especially coming from an organization that claims to uphold the values of equality, inclusion, and bringing people together. Boycotts in sports and culture are not a way to bring people closer – they only widen the gaps between us,” Home Base soccer team coach Jony Golan said on social media Sunday.“Football is meant to unite people, especially when it comes to the most vulnerable populations in the world. I don’t know if this decision was made out of fear or ignorance, but one thing is certain: It is a wrong decision.”Golan said there was still time to reverse the decision and restore faith before the August tournament.
According to the foundation’s website, the Homeless World Cup is an international street football tournament with a network of 70 organizations that use the sport to “tackle homelessness and social isolation.”Soccer can break isolation by having homeless people join a team, and creates a sense of empowerment that can change their lives, the organization claims.