Iraq Withdraws From World Fencing Championship Over Israel's Participation
Shafaq News / The Iraqi Fencing & Modern Pentathlon Federation decided on Monday to withdraw its team from competing against Israeli players at FIE Fencing World Championships held in Milan, Italy, from 22-30 July.
Last May, the Iraqi team also withdrew from the individual races in the World Fencing Championship held in Istanbul after refusing to confront Israel.
"The draw put the Iraqi team in a group that includes Israel, so our players withdrew from the individual competitions," said Azhar Ali, the director of the Federation's media.
"The withdrawal is limited to confrontations with Israel, and our players will participate in other competitions with the teams of the participating countries," Ali said, stressing that "the Iraqi Federation will not be punished as a result of the withdrawal, as we are aware of international regulations."
He pointed out that "the withdrawal came out of well-established national principles, obedience to the religious authority, and implementation of the decisions of the government and parliament that criminalize normalization with Israel."
Iraq and Israel have traditionally been considered enemies due to Iraq's alignment with other Arab states and the wider Muslim world in their opposition to Israel, which they view as an occupying force in Palestine and a threat to regional stability.
In 2022, Iraq's parliament passed a law that makes it a crime to normalize ties with Israel, and law violations can be punishable with a death sentence or life imprisonment.
The law, titled "Criminalising Normalisation and Establishment of Relations with the Zionist Entity," was approved with 275 legislators voting in favor of it in Iraq's 329-seat assembly.
The law was proposed by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr whose party, which opposes close ties with the United States and Israel, won more seats in the Iraqi parliament in the last elections before he withdrew from the political arena.
