NJAC Secures Right of Israeli National Roundnet Team to Compete Under Its Own Flag
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Chicago, IL — The National Jewish Advocacy Center, together with its partners at Seiden Law, announced today that following their intervention, Israeli athletes will be allowed to compete openly and proudly under their own banner at the 2026 World Championships, without being forced to conceal their national identity.
The issue arose after the Board of Directors of the International Roundnet Federation told the Israeli Roundnet Association that the Israeli National Team would be required to compete under a “neutral name and banner” at the 2026 World Championships, and could not display Israeli or Jewish-associated symbols. NJAC responded with a legal warning letter making clear that excluding, censoring, or forcing Israeli participants to hide their identity would raise serious civil-rights concerns. After the intervention, the team has been cleared to compete under its own flag.
NJAC CEO Mark Goldfeder said, “Sports should be inclusive. No athlete should be forced to hide who they are, where they come from, or the country they represent as the price of competition. We thank the International Roundnet Federation for doing the right thing and allowing Team Israel to compete openly, fairly, and under its own flag just like every other country.”
The National Jewish Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of the legal system to advocate for and protect Jewish civil rights using creative, innovative strategies. For more information, please visit http://njaclaw.org.
Seiden Law is globally recognized as a leading law firm for fearlessly helping clients win lawsuits, resolve disputes, solve complex problems, and mitigate risk anywhere in the world cost-effectively with relentless energy, innovation, and intelligence.
For media inquiries or assistance, contact press@njaclaw.org or (332) 278-1100. This press release can be found at http://njaclaw.org on the News tab.
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