Rotterdam parties seek ban on Israeli baseball team from European Championships in city

Three parties in the Rotterdam city council have requested a debate about the arrival of the Israeli national baseball team in the city. The SP, BIJ1, and the coalition party DENK want the team to be banned from the city due to the ongoing situation in Gaza.

The parties are receiving support from the Rotterdam Palestine Coalition (RPC) and the Palestinian Community Netherlands (PGNL). They are urging the baseball club Neptunus and Mayor Carola Schouten to block Israel’s participation in the European Baseball Championship in Rotterdam.

According to both organizations, it is “unacceptable that a country being sued for genocide in Gaza by the International Court of Justice is welcomed in our city.” They further claim that “Israeli sports teams often consist of, or are connected to, members of the Israeli military, which is directly involved in war crimes.”

The parties also pointed out that almost all Russian sports teams and athletes were banned after their country invaded Ukraine. “Israel has squandered too much international credibility to be allowed to participate among peaceful nations in international tournaments at this time,” they stated.

“We consider it only natural that Russian teams are excluded from such events. By allowing Israel to take part in this way, we as a city send the wrong signal. It makes it seem like we do not firmly enough condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza, and thereby inadvertently contribute to the legitimization of that violence,” the statement read.

The petitioners also referenced a motion passed by the city council, in which it spoke out against human rights violations by Israel in Gaza. The current affairs debate is scheduled for Thursday, September 4. Schouten has not yet responded.

The European Championships are scheduled to take place from September 20 to 27 at the Neptunus Familiestadion in Rotterdam. Israel has been placed in Group B, competing with France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Some tournament games will also be held in Italy and Belgium.