European Union Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef has delivered pointed remarks suggesting Israel could face exclusion from international sporting competitions, declaring there should be "no space" in athletic events for nations that fail to align with European principles amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Politico reported that Micallef condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and emphasized the sporting community's responsibility to advocate for shared values. "When it comes to sports, I think there should be no space in sporting events for those who do not share our values," the commissioner stated during an interview, though he refrained from explicitly naming Israel when responding to questions about potential sporting sanctions related to the Gaza war.
The commissioner elaborated on sport's role in promoting peace and human rights. "Sport is a tool that we use to promote peace, through which we promote human rights," Micallef explained. However, he acknowledged the autonomous nature of sporting organizations, noting, "On the other hand, the sport movement is autonomous, and they make their own decisions." He added, "But we have a duty and we have a responsibility to speak about these issues and to make our feelings known."
International sporting bodies have faced mounting pressure to exclude Israel from global competitions, ranging from the Olympic Games to the World Cup tournaments, though such proposals have predominantly been dismissed thus far. Israel's Eurovision Song Contest participation has also drawn criticism, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez advocating for the country's exclusion from such cultural platforms.
Addressing the Eurovision controversy and Sánchez's position, Micallef told Politico, "These spaces are big stages for political messages, big stages where we should promote values that we stand for in the Union, and where we should give space to those who have similar values to us in general." The commissioner revealed, "These are issues I have discussed already with the European Broadcasting Union."
In a Wednesday European Parliament debate on Gaza, Micallef described the humanitarian situation as "devastating," saying: "There's been bloodshed [in Gaza] and civilians that are paying the price." He added: "It's a catastrophe. You see so many children, civilians, young people, without food and water, without access to humanitarian aid, humanitarian aid that should be allowed to flow at scale to people in Gaza and in Palestine," emphasizing that his "message is clear: through sport, we have to promote the values that we stand for, with any country."
The commissioner's remarks come as the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, announced the bloc will review its Association Agreement with Israel, a comprehensive trade and cooperation pact signed in 1995 that governs political and economic relations between the EU and Israel. Kallas' announcement followed a motion led by the Dutch foreign minister criticizing Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has recently ended.
