Tennis Canada made a radical move prompted by "safety concerns" as the host nation will take on Israel behind closed doors.
This weekend, the Canadian Davis Cup teamis slated to meet Israel in the World Group l tie. Halifax is the host city. A few days before the start of the tie, a flyer in Halifax surfaced with the message: "No to the Canada-Israel Davis Cup match in Halifax." Presumably, the Israel-Palestine conflict is the reason why some are calling for the boycott of the tie.
And after taking notice and speaking with the security agencies, the host nation's tennis federationdecided that not allowing any spectators in was their best chance at avoiding any incidents.
Tennis Canada's statement
This decision was not taken lightly and was made in consultation with the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Intelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies, combined with disruptions witnessed at other recent events both in Canada and internationally, indicated a risk of significant disruption to this event. At the heart of this difficult decision is our responsibility to protect people while ensuring that this Davis Cup tie can still take place," Tennis Canada said in a statement.
Through X, the Centre for Israel and Jewish affairs wrote a long message, in which they accused "extremists" of forcing the host nation into making such a big decision.
Tennis Canadas decision was made to protect Canadians in the face of serious threats. It is unacceptable that hate, harassment, and intimidation have made it unsafe to support our athletes in our own country," the CIJA said.
