Tennis Canada has said the Davis Cup tie on September 12 and 13 between Canada and Israel in Halifax, Nova Scotia will be played behind closed doors due to \u201cescalating safety concerns.\u201d More than 1,500 tickets that had been sold for the tie will be refunded.<\/p>\n
Gavin Ziv, Tennis Canada\u2019s chief executive, said: \u201cAt the heart of this difficult decision is our responsibility to protect people while ensuring that this Davis Cup tie can still take place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were forced to conclude that playing behind closed doors was the only way to both safeguard those involved and preserve the event itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tennis Canada said that it made the decision in conjunction with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), along with \u201cintelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies, combined with disruptions witnessed at other recent events both in Canada and internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n
In August, a group of prominent Canadian athletes, activists and academics \u2014 including three former United Nations Special Rapporteurs for human rights \u2014 released an open letter calling for the tie to be canceled. The letter, which refers to determinations from human rights organizations and UN Special Rapporteurs that Israel is \u201ceither committing genocide or committing acts consistent with genocide\u201d in Gaza, states that \u201cthis is an important moment for Sport Canada and Tennis Canada to promote social justice and stand on the right side of history.\u201d It now has close to 800 signatures.<\/p>\n
The ITF has not suspended Israel from membership or from team competition. In March 2022, the organization suspended Russia and Belarus from team competition following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. The two nations have been barred from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, its women\u2019s equivalent, ever since. Russian and Belarusian tennis players can compete in individual events but are not allowed to do so under their flags.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the ITF said: \u201cIsrael has not been excluded from any international sporting events and has not been suspended by the International Olympic Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcross tennis, careful consideration is given to the participation of teams and players representing every nation, and the safety of all players, tournament staff and supporters is always paramount at every event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmosphere of a Davis Cup tie is unique in tennis, so of course we share Tennis Canada\u2019s disappointment with this outcome. That said, 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. We will continue to work with them to ensure the tie meets the elite international sporting standard of Davis Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n