The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has directly responded to an open letter calling for the cancellation of Israel's planned Davis Cup tie against Canada next month.
The letter, which has been signed by more than 400 Canadian academics, activists, writers and athletes, has demanded the tie on September 12 and 13 be scrapped and comes amid wider calls for the ITF to ban Israel from its competitions over the ongoing war in Gaza.
"This is an important moment for Sport Canada and Tennis Canada to promote social justice and stand on the right side of history," read the letter, as reported by Canadian outlet CBC.
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 - which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 people taken hostage.
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Israel's subsequent offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
The ITF, the governing body which oversees the Davis Cup - the leading international team event in men's tennis, has now responded to the letter.
"We recognise this is a highly complex situation that goes far beyond sport. However, Israel has not been excluded from international sporting events and it has not been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)," the ITF said.
"Across tennis, careful consideration is given to the participation of teams and players representing every nation, and the safety of all players, tournament staff and supporters is always paramount at every event.
"We will continue to work closely with Tennis Canada in relation to this event."
Tennis Canada also confirmed that the tie will go ahead as planned in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"Tennis Canada acknowledges the ongoing and deeply complex situation in the Middle East," read a statement.
"Our focus remains on ensuring a safe, fair, and professional competition for all athletes, staff, volunteers and spectators."
Four-time Canadian Olympian Mohammed Ahmed, who won a silver medal in the 5000m event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, is among the signatories of the letter.
Its writers argue that it would be 'unconscionable' to proceed with the Davis Cup tie and also allege that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza - a claim the Israeli government strongly denies.
The release of the letter comes amid fierce debate over whether Israel should be allowed to continue competing in international sport following bans for other nations including Russia, which has been largely banned from worldwide sport since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Both Russia and Belarus are not permitted to compete at the Davis Cup or its women's equivalent, the Billie Jean King Cup, after being suspended by the ITF.
However, Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to compete as individuals on the ATP and WTA tours.
The ITF's decision to ban Russia and Belarus came after the IOC had already suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) after it recognised regional organisations from four Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
Topics: Tennis
Rory O'Callaghan