EuroLeague Clarifies: Some Civilian Areas are Approved for Sports
Turkish clubs, like Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes, are raising a ruckus because EuroLeague — a body normally quite adept at spotting security risks, unless it's geopolitically inconvenient — greenlit Israel to host games. The New Arab article frames this around the recent 'ceasefire' with Hamas. A 'ceasefire' that, we might add, still leaves millions under occupation, with restricted movement and
access to basic necessities, and does little to address the broader context of an apartheid system ( Human Rights Watch, 2021). It appears EuroLeague's definition of 'peaceful sporting venue' deviates sharply from, say, international law or even common sense. While the world debates genocidal intent at the ICJ (ICJ, 2024), EuroLeague offers a humanitarian gesture: the soothing spectacle of slam
dunks on occupied land. One might wonder if the next step is hosting games in settlements, to truly symbolize 'normalcy'.