Participation of Athletes from Two Arab Countries in the 'Giro d'Italia' Tournament in Israel

The first prestigious cycling tournament 'Giro d'Italia' in Israel, which began on Friday, May 3, from Jerusalem, coincided with another unprecedented event; the participation of teams from two Arab countries, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, in this tour. The presence of Bahrain and UAE teams in this tournament in Israel comes at a time when the governments of Doha and Abu Dhabi apparently do not recognize Israel and have no relations with it. The arrival of sports teams from the Gulf emirates in a global cycling tour on Israeli soil, coinciding with the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of Israel, could carry meanings beyond a mere sporting event. Ofir Gendelman, a senior official in the Israeli Prime Minister's media office, welcomed the Bahrain and UAE teams on Twitter for their participation in this sporting tournament in Israel. The Italian cycling tour company has included this non-European country in the route of this tournament this year to mark the seventieth anniversary of Israel's establishment. The tournament began on Friday with the participation of tens of thousands of cyclists, some of whom are global professional athletes, starting from the center of Jerusalem; the first day of the tour takes place in the streets and various points of Jerusalem and will move to Tel Aviv and then to Beersheba and the southern port city of Eilat in the coming days. This tournament will conclude in southern Italy on May 27 after 21 stages over 23 days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with tens of thousands of Jerusalem citizens, attended the opening ceremony of the tournament from the center of Jerusalem. The Israeli government places great importance on hosting stages of this tournament and has stated that the live broadcast for several days from European and global sports networks, showcasing the landscapes of Israel and the country's advancements, is in itself an important promotion for Israel. According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Sports Minister Miri Regev stated that her ministry spent 30 million shekels, equivalent to about $830,000, on this event. The Giro d'Italia company had previously rejected the BDS movement's request to boycott and isolate Israel regarding participation in Israel. Palestinians have stated that the presence of Bahrain and UAE cycling teams in this tournament in Israel comes at a time when dozens of Palestinians have been killed in protests at the Gaza borders, and about seven thousand of them have been injured. On Friday, Palestinians held protests claiming that the presence of Bahraini and Emirati cyclists in Israel is a neglect of the seventy-year suffering of Palestinians since the establishment of Israel, while Palestinians dedicate the anniversary of Israel's independence as a 'Day of Catastrophe' for protest demonstrations. However, officials from the Giro d'Italia described the tournament's presence in Israel as part of strengthening peace and friendship among the nations of the region.