The Evolution and Impact of the Sports Boycott of Israel

Ihab Mharmeh

Researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. Editorial secretary of Siyasaat Arabiya journal. He has holds a master’s degree in international studies from Birzeit University and a master’s of public policy from the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies. His research interests are centered on public policy.

This study examines the origins and evolution of the sports boycott of Israel at major international athletic events in the last decade (2010s) and the impact of boycott on the Israeli apartheid system. It traces how the outbreak of the Arab Spring in late 2010 further incentivized Arab youth to call for boycotting Israel, specifically in sports. These calls coincided with their demands for an end to authoritarianism and autocracy in the Arab region, providing opportunities for Arab athletes to transform major international athletic events into a space for political action. The study further explores the role of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in inspiring several sports boycotts against Israel. It demonstrates how the sports boycott of Israel has become an international policy tool for athletes to counteract Israel’s international image and standing, its athletic brand, and its diplomatic efforts at marketing its emerging sports’ entrepreneurship.

* This Article was published in the 14th issue of AlMuntaqa, a peer-reviewed academic journal for the social sciences and humanities. You can read the full paper