The controversy of sports normalization is renewed ... the participation of an Israeli tennis player in a Tunisian tournament is causing a stir

Majdi Al-Saeedi - Tunisia

After the participation of an Israeli tennis player in an international tournament hosted by Tunisia from January 26 to February 2, the phenomenon of sports normalization with Israel has resurfaced in Tunisia.

The appearance of Israeli player Aaron Cohen on the tennis courts in the Olympic neighborhood in the Tunisian capital and his match in which he defeated Tunisian Karim El-Shazly in two clean sets did not pass without triggering a wave of anger and reactions condemning what was described as a "betrayal of the Palestinian cause" and a normalization with the Zionist entity.

Betrayal of the Palestinian cause
A number of politicians denounced the entry of the Israeli player to Tunisia, as the Secretary-General of the Republican Party Issam Chebbi sent an open message to Tunisian President Qais Saeid demanding that he intervene to open an investigation in cooperation with the caretaker government and the Ministry of Sports, and hold accountable all those behind the Israeli invitation to participate in a sporting event.

"The Tunisian president classified normalization with the Zionist entity under any way as a great betrayal, and this is what he declared during his election campaign. The participation of an Israeli player in a session hosted by our country is the first test of his pledges to confront the normalization and criminalization, we are waiting for him to fulfill Said The pledges and to confirm that he holds the concerns of the Palestinian cause, especially after his meeting with the Minister of Sports. "

Chebbi called for the dissolution of the Tunisian Tennis Federation as a first measure, and for the president of the federation to be held accountable for its involvement in inviting the player Cohen, and he condemned what he considered to be the use of force by the security forces that prevented a number of demonstrators from entering the stadium to protest.

The Tunisian campaign to boycott and oppose normalization with the Zionist entity called on Wednesday for a protest demonstration in front of the tennis court in Tunisia to condemn the participation of the Israeli player, and raise slogans attacking the President of the Tunisian Federation for the game Salma Moulouhi.

The journalist, Shukri Al-Shihi, who was among dozens of participants in the protests, considered that "inviting a Zionist player to a session hosted by Tunisia constitutes a major betrayal of the Tunisian state towards the Palestinian issue."

He told Al Jazeera Net, "The criminalization of normalization with the Zionist entity is one of the most prominent points on which the electoral program, Qais Sa'id, was based, and it is the point that contributed to the Tunisians voting for him, in my opinion, it is necessary to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable."

Accountability and investigation
While the president of the Tunisian Tennis Federation, Salma El Molahi, refused to talk to Al Jazeera Net about the participation of the player Aaron Cohen in the international session, Tunisian President Qais Saeed did not delay in inviting the Minister of Youth and Sports Sunni Sheikh to explain the ministry's position on the incident.

According to a statement by the Presidency of the Republic, the participation of the Israeli tennis player was among the axes that led the meeting between Saeed and Sheikh.

"The meeting also dealt with issues related to youth and sports, including in particular the participation of a tennis player with dual citizenship, who entered France with a French passport but played his matches on an Israeli vacation," the statement said. The head of state called for an investigation to be opened for the purpose of determining responsibilities, recalling Tunisia's principled position rejecting the establishment of Relations with Israel under any way. "

Said had expressed during his election campaign before his election last October as president of the country, that his position is consistent on the Palestinian issue, and that he considers normalization with the Zionist entity a crime and a great betrayal.

The boycott of Israeli athletes, whether by refusing to invite them to participate in courses hosted by Tunisia or by refraining from confronting them, was a form of rejecting normalization with Israel and an expression of their support for the Palestinian cause.

And many athletes, such as Azza Basbas, in fencing, Malik Al-Jaziri, Anas Jaber in tennis, and Mays al-Abbasi in boxing, have previously refused to face competitors from the State of Israel in international competitions, and they chose to defeat a contest in which one of the parties is an opponent from Israel.