The Davis Cup matchup between Canada and Israel will be held in a closed venue without spectators this week in Halifax due to safety concerns, Tennis Canada announced Tuesday.
The organization said in a news release the decision was made in consultation with the International Tennis Federation due to “escalating safety concerns” and “intelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies.”
“We were forced to conclude that playing behind closed doors was the only way to both safeguard those involved and preserve the event itself,” the release read.
The decision to close the Davis Cup World Group I tie to fans comes after more than 400 Canadian athletes and academics, including Olympic runner Moh Ahmed, urged Tennis Canada in a letter to cancel the event over Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
The letter cited scholars and human rights groups who have described those actions as genocide against the Palestinian people. The Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 63,000 Palestinian combatants and civilians have been killed.
In its response, Tennis Canada said it “acknowledges the ongoing and deeply complex situation in the Middle East.”
No one from the organization was immediately available for an interview Tuesday.
Safety ‘paramount,’ says tennis federation
A spokesperson for the International Tennis Federation, the sport’s global governing body, said it shared Tennis Canada’s disappointment over closing the venue but emphasized safety as the priority.
“The safety of all players, supporters and tournament staff is always paramount, and Tennis Canada considered a range of detailed security advice before coming to this decision,” the federation said in a statement.
The tie, which is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, was initially to be played at Scotiabank Centre. The matches will be livestreamed.
Tickets were still available through Ticketmaster on Tuesday morning but sales were shut down by noon local time. Tennis Canada says fans who purchased tickets will receive a full refund within 30 days.
The winner of the tie will advance to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers.
A flyer in Halifax promoting a march planned for Friday and Saturday. (Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri/CBC)
Some Halifax residents have planned a “March for Palestine” to coincide with this week’s tie.
El Jones, an activist and one of the organizers of the march, said in an interview on Tuesday that the decision to close the venue “shows how community pressure has been very successful.”
“While obviously we continue to insist that this match be cancelled, it shows that there was no appetite in this community for supporting genocide and sportswashing,” said Jones.
In a news release, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said the protesters were silencing thousands of Canadian tennis fans from cheering on their national team.
“It is unacceptable that hate, harassment, and intimidation have made it unsafe to support our athletes in our own country,” said Noah Shack, the CEO of the group which advocates for Jewish federations across Canada.
“Our political leaders must decide whether we are a nation governed by peace, order, and good government — or one where fear and intimidation dictate our way of life.”
Halifax pulls funding
In August, the Halifax council had approved $50,000 in funding for the matches at the Scotiabank Centre as it is considered a tourism event, despite protesters opposing the decision.
A city spokesman told CBC News in an email on Tuesday that the funding has been cancelled because the event no longer delivers “the tourism, economic and other benefits that would have been expected had it proceeded as originally planned.”
Mayor Andy Fillmore urged fans who already booked hotels and flights to still come to Halifax and cheer on Team Canada from their hotel rooms.
Fillmore said he was not a part of the decision to close the event to spectators, adding that he has “complete faith in the security system” at Events East, which manages and operates the Scotiabank Centre.
A spokesperson for Events East said its public safety plan for the event will remain in place and fully enforced.
“Any time that we host an international event, there is always an added layer of protocol and preparedness that comes into play,” said Dawn Delaney.
A spokesperson for Halifax Regional Police said it was not involved in Tennis Canada’s decision to close the venue and it is not one of the “local authorities” referenced in the organization’s statement.