The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have announced that Israel has been withdrawn from all IIHF competitions until further notice. The decision was made due to concerns over the safety and security of all tournament participants. The removal of Israel from the World Championship program affects two tournaments involving Australia.
In the men’s IIHF U18 World Championships Israel was set to compete in the Division II Group B tournament in March against Australia, Bulgaria, China, Chinese Taipei, and Spain. The team had recently earned promotion to the group after winning the Division III Group A in 2023. In the men’s IIHF World Championships Israel was scheduled to play in the Division II Group A tournament in April against Australia, Croatia, Iceland, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates. Both tournaments will now likely play with five teams each, with the fifth ranked team being relegated at the end of the competition.
Update (12 January 2024): The IIHF Council have clarified that they will meet in February to assess the situation for Israel to compete in the March and April tournaments.
Update (17 January 2024): Israel has been re-admitted to the men’s U20 Division III Group A tournament. A decision on whether they will participate in the tournament’s involving Australia has yet to be made.
Update (5 March 2024): Israel has been included on the men’s U18 Division II Group B schedule, so it appears that the IIHF have completely reversed their policy.
Further information
- Israeli National Team’s safety and security prioritized in IIHF Championships from the IIHF (10 January 2024)
- IIHF to provide further clarification regarding the participation of the Israeli National Team in IIHF Championships from the IIHF (12 January 2024)
- Israeli National Team allowed to compete in upcoming 2024 IIHF WM20IIIA in Bulgaria from the IIHF (17 January 2024)
Leave a Reply