No Israeli flag in the Emirates…
The Israeli under-18 chess team is competing in a tournament in Abu Dhabi but their flag is nowhere to be seen and they are not officially representing their country.
Moshe Slav
Newspapers from the Washington Post to Ma’ariv and popular web site Algenmeir reported that authorities had requested that the team, competing for the first time in an Arab country be a representative of the Federation Internationale des Echecs, the official name of the World Chess Federation…and not Israel. The name of Israel and the Israeli flag were replaced on the tournament web site with the FIDE name and its logo.
But Moshe Slav, president of the Israeli Chess Federation told J-Wire: “It’s true that we were asked to play as the FIDE and that our flag and country name be removed from the tournament web site…but the request was made by Israeli security in order to safeguard the participants.”
Even the Israeli Chess Federation’s web site is carrying an announcement stating that the official web site for the Abu Dhabi tournament “which lists all the players and nationalities took down the Israeli flag and has even gone so far as to rename them from the country “FIDE” attributing them the FIDE flag as well. It is a very unfortunate precedent for the World Youth and unheard of until now.” They add that the Israeli flag was featured when the web site went public but has since been removed.
Playing in the tournament is Anastasia Vuller who won a European championship two months ago. She is ten years old. A spokesman for Moshe Slav told J-Wire: “She will bring a medal home to Israel from this tournament.”
Moshe Slav added: “Our hosts were very good and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin and the Limor Livnat the Minister for Sport for the wonderful help they provided. Sending the delegation was very costly and I would like to publicly thank through J-Wire those who helped fund the delegation’s costs.”
Israel sent two security specialists to protect the team and J-Wire understands that they worked hand in hand with their Emirates counterparts.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates whose hub airport in Dubai is the home base of Emirates, partner airline to Qantas and through which flights to major European destinations are routed.
A screen shot from the Championships’ web site:
Why would you jump in and condemn, on a few lines you have read?
You do not know the full story, neither will you ever know it, but you are both immediately experts.
You ask why we jump in and condemn?
You know why pal?
We have been there before thats why.
“Jump in and condemn”, have you been hiding under a rock for 100 years ? This has everything to do with murdering aggressors and their financiers or are you happy to give them the benefit of what ever doubt you may have ?
What an absolute disgrace.
With this decision, in the eyes of the world, Israel will now be seen as a nation of cowering ghetto jews.
What lunatic in Israeli security made this decision?
The much vaunted Israeli security was there to protect these few chess players and as the report says they “worked hand in hand with their Emirates counterparts.” So, what was the problem?
What respect will there now be for Israel in the eyes of its enemies?
What is the point of Anastasia Vuller coming home to Israel with a medal from this tournament? She might as well throw this medal in the garbage where it belongs. She officially did not represent her country.
On a personal note, Israel was a country I was once proud of but at the rate they’re going, is rapidly becoming a country I am ashamed of. Defenders, advocates of Israel, call them whatever you want, can no longer rationalise the irrational behaviour of this insane country.
This decision by the people in charge of security, shames both Israel and the entire Jewish world.
What also is wrong with the officials of the Israeli Chess Federation in agreeing to this nonsense? Where is their spine?
What will happen at the next Olympic games?
What will Israel, that “light unto the nations” call itself then?
Which is why I have never, will never and nor should any other self respecting Jew, fly an arab owned airline.
David,
It is your choice what airline to fly and for the record, I agree with your choice for various reasons, but not this one.
Did you not read the article carefully?
It was Israeli security not their Emirates counterparts who suggested and then made the decision to remove Israel’s flag and name from the tournament.
What a disgraceful precedent.