A major cycling race in Spain was disrupted by protests against an Israeli team. A basketball game in Poland was preceded by fans booing the Israeli national anthem. And several European countries are threatening to boycott a signature entertainment event if Israel takes part.

 

The global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza has spread into the arenas of sports and culture. Israel’s critics say it should be sidelined from international events just like Russia has been since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

 

Earlier this month, some Hollywood filmmakers, actors and other industry figures signed a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions — including festivals, broadcasters and production companies.

 

 

   Efforts to punish Israel over Gaza grow in sports and cultural arenas

The right thing to do.

I will never eat a falafel again.

Yes, efforts to punish Jews are certainly increasing.  Below is a sign placed in the window of a used book store in Flensburg, Germany. 

 

 

‘Jews are banned from entering here!’ sign in

German shop window spurs international backlash

...

On Wednesday, passersby in the town of Flensburg spotted a sign in the window of a used bookstore on Duburger Street printed on white paper, reading, “Jews are banned from entering here! Nothing personal, not even antisemitism, I just can’t stand you.”

The 60-year-old shop owner, Hans Velten Reisch, told German media that he had put up the poster himself, out of anger over the war in Gaza. He expressed surprise over the public outcry.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/jews-are-banned-from-entering-here-sign-in-german-shop-window-spurs-international-backlash/ar-AA1MV139?ocid=msedgntp&pc=W230&cvid=68cdaf51385742e0b586714f7cc13ab1&ei=15

 

I will acknowledge the shopkeeper's honesty; he wrote "Jews" instead of trying to hide his hatred of Jews by using "Zionists."  The sign is reminiscent of signs in Germany in the 1930s.  The efforts to exclude Israelis from cultural and sporting events are similar to some of the race laws in Nazi Germany.

 

Signs from the 1930s are making a comeback:

 

 

 

 

The Irish President has called for Israel to be expelled from the UN.

 

It’s not at all unreasonable.

 

 

 

Portugal says it will recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, making it the latest Western nation preparing to shift policy as the war in the Gaza Strip shows no sign of stopping.

 

The foreign ministry made the announcement ahead of next week's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

 

France, the UK, Canada and Australia are preparing similar announcements.

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yek72jqk4o

 

Demonstrations have been held in Portugal demanding a ceasefire in Gaza

Over 400 International Artists Sign a Petition to Remove Their Songs From Platforms in Israel

 

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-09-18/ty-article/.premium/more-than-400-artists-sign-petition-to-remove-their-songs-from-platforms-in-israel/00000199-5df9-d45d-a3bf-fffbc0690000

Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness has called for Israel to be suspended from international football ahead of an expected UEFA vote this week on the country's participation in European competition.

 

Norway are set to play Israel on October 11 in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo when a win for the hosts would all but seal their qualification for next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

 

Klaveness, who also serves on European soccer governing body UEFA's executive committee, ruled out a boycott of the match but said sanctions against Israel are necessary.

 

Norwegian FA president calls for Israel to be suspended from international competition

 

Related video: UEFA Considering Suspending Israel from European Competitions (Futbol Chronicle)

 

American ships loaded with arms for Israel were blocked from transiting through the Rota (Cádiz) and Morón de la Frontera (Seville) bases, the Spanish El Pais newspaper reported Monday.

 

“Rota and Moron are not a backdoor,” a source was quoted by the paper as saying. "Rota and Morón are bases under Spanish sovereignty, under the command of a Spanish military officer, and everything that happens there must be authorized by the Spanish authorities," a source was quoted by the paper as saying.

 

The Spanish government, which has called Israel’s military actions a genocide, says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of Oct.2, 2023, and has recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024. The move comes as Madrid continues to cancel arms contracts with Israeli companies.

 

Spain blocks American ships carrying weapons for Israel