Tennis officials refuse call to cancel Davis Cup match-up between Israel and Canada in Halifax

Tennis officials are refusing to give in to the demands of an open letter calling for the cancellation of a match-up between Israeli and Canadian players that’s scheduled to be hosted in Halifax next month.

On Sept. 12 and 13, Canada and Israel will play each other in the Davis Cup, the leading team tennis event in the world. The result of the tie, a series of five matches, will determine which country advances to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers.

The letter, which was signed by more than 400 academics, activists, athletes and writers argues that sport can no longer be treated as simply sport given the international scrutiny over Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

“This is an important moment for Sport Canada and Tennis Canada to promote social justice and stand on the right side of history,” says a letter addressed to the two organizations.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF), which organizes the Davis Cup, said in a statement that it would not bar Israel from competing.

“We recognize this is a highly complex situation that goes far beyond sport. However, Israel has not been excluded from international sporting events and it has not been suspended by the International Olympic Committee,” the ITF said. “Across tennis, careful consideration is given to the participation of teams and players representing every nation, and the safety of all players, tournament staff and supporters is always paramount at every event. We will continue to work closely with Tennis Canada in relation to this event.”

Tennis Canada also said the match will go ahead as planned and emphasized that its role is to promote the sport and create opportunities for players and fans.

“Tennis Canada acknowledges the ongoing and deeply complex situation in the Middle East,” the organization said in a statement. “Our focus remains on ensuring a safe, fair, and professional competition for all athletes, staff, volunteers and spectators.”

Signatories to the letter include journalists and University of British Columbia professors Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis, Alex Neve, formerly the secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, and now a professor at the University of Ottawa, and three former United Nations special rapporteurs. Scores of other academics across a variety of research fields, including geography, history and kinesiology, also signed the letter.

They argue that Canada has issued sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, and Defence Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The letter also alleges that Israel is committing a genocide, something the Canadian government has not stated. Israel denies the allegation.

“Allowing this competition is unconscionable,” the letter says.

David Cooper, vice president of government relations for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said that a “small mob of extremists” shouldn’t get to determine who competes at the Davis Cup.

“Giving in to their demands would stain our country’s reputation and undermine the integrity of international sport. All Canadians must stand together against those who use intimidation to dictate who plays tennis in Canada,” Cooper said in an emailed statement.

Recently, there have been a handful of instances where athletes have refused recently to compete against Israeli athletes — such as in June when a Jordanian under-19 basketball team refused to play its Israeli counterparts,  forfeiting the match .

Historically, exclusion from sporting events has sometimes been used to express international disapproval with a nation’s actions. There were calls to ban Israel from the 2024 Olympics, but the IOC refused.

The upcoming tennis matches are to take place in Halifax, N.S. In a recent meeting of the Halifax special events advisory committee , Sue Uteck, a member of the committee, noted that hosting the event is likely to be contentious and that she has been “inundated” with emails and noted that there will be increased policing and security concerns while hosting the event.

“You never want to mix athletics and politics,” Uteck said.

Claudine Ferragut, with Tennis Canada, described it as a “rather complicated situation” in the Middle East and said there is work being done on a security plan for the event.

“We remain committed to the principle of sport to bring unity separate from political conflicts,” she said.

Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s culture minister, did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

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