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UAE bars entry for Israeli tennis player

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This is absolutely pathetic. She is ranked in the top-50 in the world. This is the kind of move countries like Venezuela made last year. And the UAE is supposed to be a model of a more open Islam.

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Had this action by the UAE been motivated by religion, we would see Jews from other nationalities being denied entry as well. None has been reported. It is a political not a religious issue. UAE does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

I see an eagerness of some folks here to tag political issues as religiously motivated
I doubt that if Israel denies a Lebanese Christian/Muslim athlete entry for a competition it would be called a religious discrimination.

Edit: Israeli Arabs Muslims/Christians can not enter UAE as well.
 
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And they US has banned people from entering the US... remember Cat Stevens? and in the US case it is a huge majority muslims...? The UK just banned "the" dutch politician from entering the UK because of his racist views.. Countries do it all the time. But in this case people are up in arms because it is a jew? Give me a break.

Not the same as someone being denied to play in a tournament they earned the right into and a tournament for which the WTA has granted them a license to hold.

The UAE can ban anyone they want from entering their territory, just like anyone else.

And the WTA can take the tournament away from the UAE next year, and well they should.
 
Like it or not, barring this tennis player based on that she is Israeli, is no different than the US barring HIV positive people from entering or Norway saying no to Snoop Dog or Israel denying muslims to return to the west bank after marrying someone from Syria. They have their reasons so be it and accept it, we do not live in a world where freedom of movement is universal for everyone regardless of sex, race, religion or a number of other criteria.

It is very different. The government of Dubai lobbies to hold these tournaments - whether they be WTA, ATP, PGA, etc. The sports associations have a right to expect that their members who qualify be permitted to compete in these tournaments. If those countries fail to live up to their obligations, the sports associations can AND SHOULD take those tournaments away.

Doha allowed her to play last year. Qatar is trying to upstage Dubai as an international sporting center. This action by the government in Abu Dhabi will help Doha to do exactly this.
 
Genetically unique Russians? Please provide nude pictures of these Russian women so that I may judge their tennis assets.

She's not a tennis pro but damn!
g14.jpg

That is the hottest little Russian succa i have ever seen!
 
When has an Israeli athlete ever played in Dubai? Dubai and Israel have never had diplomatic ties and this isn't the first time they've denied someone a visa.

You don't have to have diplomatic ties to grant visas to people. She played in a tournament in Doha, Qatar last year.

This is a Venezuela-like ploy against a country the UAE doesn't approve of. This has no place in international sport.

Dubai may lose the tournament due to this behavior and this has also met the disdain of many professional players.

another link

The future of the Dubai Open may be at risk after Shahar Peer was prevented from competing in the event.

The blocking of Peer is a surprise because she was given a visa to play in the Qatar Open in Doha last year, a visit which was a considerable success both in tennis and diplomatic terms.

"The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking."

Players' response

PARIS (AFP) – Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo led a chorus of condemnation after Israel's Shahar Peer was controversially denied a visa to take part in the two-million-dollar WTA tournament in Dubai.

"I think sport should be above issues like that to do with religion and wars and whatever. I'm surprised."

Peer faced protests over Israel's military offensive in Gaza at the Auckland tournament in January with a group of around 20 people demanding she withdraw from the event.

French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, the former world number one from Serbia, said she was saddened by the episode.

"It's very unfortunate, I feel very sorry for her. Shahar is a friend of mine and I feel sorry she's not here," said Ivanovic who is in Dubai.

It seems the tournament will go on this year, but it seems next year, it is done. There are a couple of Israeli athletes in the top 100 on the men's side. Will they be denied visas as well if they try to participate in the men's tournament there later this year?

This is bad for Dubai, good for Doha.
 
Had this action by the UAE been motivated by religion, we would see Jews from other nationalities being denied entry as well. None has been reported. It is a political not a religious issue. UAE does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

You don't have to have diplomatic relations with a country to grant them a visa.

I see an eagerness of some folks here to tag political issues as religiously motivated
I doubt that if Israel denies a Lebanese Christian/Muslim athlete entry for a competition it would be called a religious discrimination.

Edit: Israeli Arabs Muslims/Christians can not enter UAE as well.

Have any of them been denied a visa to participate in an internationally sanctioned sporting event?
 
how dare anyone criticize Israel, ever.

Israel should be treated exactly like South Africa was.

This isn't about Israel, this is about an individual athlete who has been denied a visa because of her nationality by a country who claims to be open and a model of modern Islam and who is trying to turn their city into an international sporting center.
 
This isn't about Israel, this is about an individual athlete who has been denied a visa because of her nationality by a country who claims to be open and a model of modern Islam and who is trying to turn their city into an international sporting center.
You're exactly right ludahai.

But some folks here are willing to excuse this abysmal behavior on the part of UAE simply because an Ms. Peer is Israeli.

If this woman was from Spain, Mr. EU wouldn't be so forgiving.

Hypocrite and asshole.
 
And they US has banned people from entering the US... remember Cat Stevens? and in the US case it is a huge majority muslims...? The UK just banned "the" dutch politician from entering the UK because of his racist views.. Countries do it all the time. But in this case people are up in arms because it is a jew? Give me a break.

The UAE can ban anyone they want from entering their territory, just like anyone else.

Your use of the term "Jew" wreaks of anti-semitism. I find this most disturbing.
 
When has an Israeli athlete ever played in Dubai? Dubai and Israel have never had diplomatic ties and this isn't the first time they've denied someone a visa.

Typical racist islam-o-nazi behavior.

Saudi is rapidly losing respect all around the world.
 
And so what. The WTA aint the UAE. The WTA knows that it has to follow the rules of the countries where it holds competitions. If it does not like those rules, then dont freaking hold the competitions there.

I dont like this any more than the next guy, but I refuse to be up in arms over it just because it happens to be an Israeli, when very few were up in arms over Cat Stevens being banned from the US, or the thousands of innocent people including 3 month old babies being banned from entering the US due to having the "wrong name". And where on these boards was the uproar over the UK kicking out the Dutch right wing politician the other day? No where as far as I can see. Countries do it all the time and it is their right regardless if we agree with it or not. And dont play all high and mighty, because even Israel has banned people from entering Israel and keep doing it... where is your "uproar" over that?

In bold. I didn't see you start a thread on it. Maybe you should've instead of just bitching because someone is concerned about this issue...an issue around an Israeli. Start your own threads and get up in arms about these other issues, if you want. Your transparency is so obvious, Pete. Either quite bitching and address the issue, or find another thread to complain about Israel in. :roll:
 
how dare anyone criticize Israel, ever.

Israel should be treated exactly like South Africa was.

No, since there is nothing comparable between Israel and how South Africa was. This would be a ridiculous comparison.
 
Your use of the term "Jew" wreaks of anti-semitism. I find this most disturbing.

Ahh was wondering when the anti-semitism card would be thrown in my face over that comment. As usualy you cant call a fish a fish just because the person happens to be of the Jewish faith or comes from the only state says it is the Jewish state.
 
You're exactly right ludahai.

But some folks here are willing to excuse this abysmal behavior on the part of UAE simply because an Ms. Peer is Israeli.

If this woman was from Spain, Mr. EU wouldn't be so forgiving.

Hypocrite and asshole.

Listen, there is no excuse for such behaviour I agree, but it is their freaking right, just as it is Israel's right to imprison dissidents, ban jews critical of the Israeli state from entering Israel. That TOO is there no excuse for and yet you and others are not up in uproar over that?

You accuse me and others for being hypocrites and assholes? How about looking in the mirror... Is it not a bit hypocritical to post this story, and yet not the other situations when people have been denied visa to enter a country? Is it not hypocritical to post a story who's intent was clearly to stir up sympathy for the poor Israeli against the mean old Arab country, and yet claim that religion and race has nothing to do about it? Again, why is it you find this story so important over random person being denied entry to any country on the planet?

Also if she was from Spain, UK, France, Germany or whatever EU country, then yes the EU would be critical which is their right. But the EU knows, just as everyone but a few people on these boards, that not giving a visa on whatever grounds, is a a daily occurrence all over the world. Like it or not, we do not allow people into countries based on who they are, and where they are from.. big freaking deal. You do know that the EU has most likely denied visa's to people from the UAE too right?

I saw the interview on CNN of the WTA President. It is always funny how a man that claims that sports should be non-political goes on international TV and makes it political. On top of that, he admitted that they had known of the possibility for over a year and had been working on the issue. Now that the UAE has said no, which is their right, then all of a sudden he and his people make a story out of it? He even admitted that it was far from the first time someone on the WTA and ATP tour were denied visa to a country where there was a tournament.. so I ask again.. WHY is this case suddenly a "BIG" thing?

Could it be just another propaganda attack in the never ending war between Israel and the Arab world? Another pathetic attempt to claim "anti-Semitism" because the person "wronged" comes from Israel? You can deny it as much as you want, but that is how it has come off, even though you never used the words.

So let me summarize.. Yes it is wrong for the UAE to say no to this player, but it is their right to do so, just like every other country does it on a daily basis.
 
So let me summarize.. Yes it is wrong for the UAE to say no to this player, but it is their right to do so, just like every other country does it on a daily basis.

Furthermore the denial of this is the product of knee-jerk American rabid Zionism which inevitably trumps anyone else's rights.

Conservative Americans, many Jewish Americans and Israelis do not believe in a world where criticizing Israel is a allowed.
 
Furthermore the denial of this is the product of knee-jerk American rabid Zionism which inevitably trumps anyone else's rights.

Conservative Americans, many Jewish Americans and Israelis do not believe in a world where criticizing Israel is a allowed.
Knee jerk this. You belong in Philadelphia.
 
If I expressed sympathy for some black guy that was beaten by the cops and was then called a "race traitor" by a white neo-nazi for having those sympathies we'd all roundly denounce the nazi. And rightly so.

And yet many of my Jewish friends who dare to break with the orthodox blind support of Israel by the Jewish community are routinely called "self-hating Jews" and "fake Jews"- sometimes, amazingly enough, not even by other jews but conservative American gentiles.

It's the same thing.

But I doubt they're given the same scorn that the nazi would.
 
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you know what, I'll even respond to the dig about Philly.

I've been to Tel Aviv.

Have you ever heard of mass transit?

Or building that aren't stucco crap?

Or how about a skyline?
 
Of course not, and I wasn't addressing this. I was merely addressing your attempt to make this out as a case of anti-semitism.


It is a case of anti-semtism. Quit making excuses for the brainwashed asshats in Saudi.
 
I think she was denied entry because she is Israeli, not because she is Jewish. You are aware that there is a difference between the two, correct?

In this case, I do not see a distinction. She is a representative of Israel therefore it isn't a huge stretch to believe that she is Jewish.

Clearly, what occurred is a hate crime perpatrated by a nation of racist anti-semetic bigots.
 
avoiding the fact that Arabs are also semites (so they're probably not anti-semetic, but anti-Jewish) how would your "all critics of Israel are anti-Jewish" theory adapt to the existence of anti-Zionist and anti-Israel American Jews, of which there are plenty?
 
Listen, there is no excuse for such behaviour I agree, but it is their freaking right, just as it is Israel's right to imprison dissidents, ban jews critical of the Israeli state from entering Israel. That TOO is there no excuse for and yet you and others are not up in uproar over that?

And now it is the right of the WTA to pull their license to host a WTA tournament, which is something that may happen from next year unless the Abu Dhabi government repents and sees the error of its ways.

Also if she was from Spain, UK, France, Germany or whatever EU country, then yes the EU would be critical which is their right. But the EU knows, just as everyone but a few people on these boards, that not giving a visa on whatever grounds, is a a daily occurrence all over the world. Like it or not, we do not allow people into countries based on who they are, and where they are from.. big freaking deal. You do know that the EU has most likely denied visa's to people from the UAE too right?

For for a professional athlete who was qualified to compete in a tournament that the government of the country lobbied heavily to host on an annual basis as Dubai hosts this event?

I saw the interview on CNN of the WTA President. It is always funny how a man that claims that sports should be non-political goes on international TV and makes it political. On top of that, he admitted that they had known of the possibility for over a year and had been working on the issue. Now that the UAE has said no, which is their right, then all of a sudden he and his people make a story out of it? He even admitted that it was far from the first time someone on the WTA and ATP tour were denied visa to a country where there was a tournament.. so I ask again.. WHY is this case suddenly a "BIG" thing?

I am sure they had been working on the visa issue, but apparently the denial only became "final" very recently. As for making it political, the UAE government made it political with the denial of the visa. The WTA president was merely taking them to task for it and I am sure noting that this could result in the loss of the tournament - just as Venezuela lost IBAF sanction for a youth world championship last year for denial of visas to Asia's baseball champions because they happened to come from a country they don't like. Simply pathetic that you would somehow excuse such behavior.
Could it be just another propaganda attack in the never ending war between Israel and the Arab world? Another pathetic attempt to claim "anti-Semitism" because the person "wronged" comes from Israel? You can deny it as much as you want, but that is how it has come off, even though you never used the words.

So let me summarize.. Yes it is wrong for the UAE to say no to this player, but it is their right to do so, just like every other country does it on a daily basis.[/QUOTE]
 
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