From cycling races in Spain to basketball arenas in Poland, the fallout from the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza is increasingly spilling into sports and cultural life across Europe.

Protests and boycotts are mounting, echoing the measures once deployed against Apartheid-era South Africa and, more recently, Russia after the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

A major cycling race in Spain was disrupted by demonstrators opposing the participation of an Israeli team. In Poland, fans booed the Israeli anthem before a Eurobasket match. Several European broadcasters are also threatening to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if "Israel" is permitted to compete.

The backlash reflects a growing call to isolate "Israel" internationally over the unbearable death toll and dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Critics argue that "Israel" should face the same exclusion that Russia encountered in 2022, when its athletes were banned from major competitions and forced to compete under a neutral flag.

Spain’s bold stance

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sharpened the debate this week, declaring his support for pro-Palestine protesters who disrupted the Vuelta cycling race. Sanchez urged a ban on "Israel" from international sports until the “barbarity” in Gaza ceases.

His government’s position was quickly echoed by Spain’s public broadcaster, which joined three other European countries in threatening to withdraw from Eurovision.

“Why,” Sanchez asked pointedly, “shouldn’t Israel be expelled from sports just like Russia?”

Unsurprisingly, the call drew a harsh response from "Israel". Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denounced Sanchez as an “antisemite and a liar."

It is worth noting that "Israel" routinely invokes accusations of "antisemitism" whenever its atrocities in Palestine or its broader aggressions in West Asia come under scrutiny.

Global sports bodies back Israeli occupation

So far, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA have resisted calls to act, alleging that "Israel" has not violated the same legal thresholds Russia crossed by "annexing Ukrainian territory." “This is different,” said Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s executive director for the Olympic Games, when pressed in Milan this week.

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FIFA declined to comment on its "Israel" policy or on delayed proceedings reviewing Palestinian complaints seeking to bar "Israel" from international competition. European soccer federations, meanwhile, claim they are compelled to play Israeli teams to avoid sanctions, even as public scrutiny grows.

Basketball Ireland CEO John Feehan admitted his federation was uneasy about facing "Israel" in a Women’s Eurobasket qualifier this November. “Facing Israel in these circumstances is not a scenario we would wish,” he said. But refusing would trigger penalties “hugely damaging to the sport here.”

Protests and public outcry

Beyond boardrooms, protests are increasingly visible. Israeli teams have faced unwelcoming receptions across Europe. In Katowice, Poland, the Israeli anthem was loudly booed at Eurobasket.

In August, fans of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa displayed a controversial "Murderers since 1939" banner during their Europa Conference League match against Poland's Raków Częstochowa, an encounter that was relocated to Debrecen, Hungary, for security reasons.

Similar provocations took place in 2024, when supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv team tore through the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands, and took down Palestine flags posted on balconies and windows, triggering clashes between the Israelis and hundreds of pro-Palestine individuals.

At the time, the incidents surrounding Maccabi's match against Ajax, including violent clashes between Israeli fans and bystanders, property destruction, and the burning of Palestinian flags, provoked strong public condemnation.

Even the Champions League final in Munich this May was marked by banners reading “Stop Genocide in Gaza.” UEFA refrained from disciplinary action despite rules against political messaging. A similar scene unfolded at its Super Cup in August, when “Stop Killing Children” banners were unfurled before kickoff in Udine.

In Canada, safety fears prompted officials to hold a Davis Cup tennis tie involving "Israel" behind closed doors in Halifax, after hundreds of athletes and academics urged Tennis Canada to cancel the matches altogether.

Historic precedents

The mounting pressure recalls the decades-long sporting boycott of Apartheid South Africa, which was barred from Olympic competition from 1960 until 1992. Russia, too, was swiftly frozen out of most global sports after the war in Ukraine, with athletes forced to compete without national symbols.

"Israel", by contrast, continues to compete under its flag. Yet analysts say Spain’s bold stance marks a turning point. “Until now we haven’t seen this type of outrage against Israeli action in Gaza,” said Antoine Duval of the Asser Institute in the Netherlands. “I think this tide is turning now.”

Looking ahead

How far this movement will spread remains uncertain. No other head of government has joined Sanchez’s call. Still, Spain’s influence is considerable: it is a global soccer powerhouse, co-host of the 2030 World Cup, and the opening stage of next year’s Tour de France will take place there.

For now, Italy and Norway are preparing to host "Israel" in World Cup qualifiers next month. Both federations acknowledge discomfort but concede they cannot refuse without handing "Israel automatic victories". Norway said it would instead donate ticket revenue from its match to Doctors Without Borders for humanitarian work in Gaza.

The cultural front is equally fraught. Earlier this month, prominent Hollywood figures pledged to boycott Israeli film institutions. Meanwhile, Eurovision faces a potential rupture as broadcasters threaten to withdraw if "Israel" participates.

Whether these actions will crystallize into a formal sports and cultural boycott remains unclear. But from cycling roads in Spain to tennis courts in Canada, the message is growing louder: "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza is no longer being fought only by Palestinians on the battlefield; it is reshaping the global stage.