International statement: Israel out of the Tour de France!

To add your organizational signature to this call, please email collectifpalestinevaincra@gmail.com.

From July 1 to 24, 2022, the 109th edition of the Tour de France will launch from Copenhagen, Denmark, and then proceed through several cities in Belgium and France. For the third consecutive year, the biggest cycling competition in the world is welcoming the Israel Premier Tech team, formerly known as Israel Start-Up Nation, to the starting line.

Founded by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, this team aims to promote Israeli apartheid. Indeed, “the members of the team are ambassadors of the country of Israel, which is the basis of the team. We use sport to create links and promote the image of the country,” as the team openly underlines in a quote to a French newspaper.

The presence of this team with openly political ambitions is all the more scandalous when we see that the International Cycling Union is currently sanctioning several Russian and Belarusian teams because of the policies of their respective States, but becomes incapable of doing so when it comes to denouncing Israeli policy. This demonstrates once again that what is in question is not the legitimacy of the sports boycott but the targets it is addressing.

As Israel continues its policy of colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing, we call for the intensification of the boycott of Israel as an anti-colonialist and anti-racist tool in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance which fights for the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea. In this context, we call for a boycott of the team Israel Premier Tech and for increased actions and organizing during this competition. The flag of Palestine must fly everywhere in order to make it clear that we do not accept the presence of a team representing the executioners of the Palestinian people.

Boycott Israel – Free Palestine Israel out of the Tour de France!

Initial signatories:

  • AFD International (FR)
  • AFPS 14-6 (FR)
  • AFPS 63 (FR)
  • AFPS Albertville (FR)
  • AFPS Nîmes (FR)
  • AFPS Paris-Sud (FR)
  • Africa 4 Palestine (ZA)
  • Al Awda – The Palestine Right of Return Coalition (US)
  • Al Yudur – Mouvement de la jeunesse palestinienne (ES)
  • Alkarama – Mouvement des femmes palestiniennes (ES)
  • Amis de la Palestine contre l’impérialisme et le sionisme (TR)
  • Association Belgo-palestinienne – régional de Liège (BE)
  • Association Démocratique des Tunisiens en France – ADTF (FR)
  • BACBI – Belgian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BE)
  • BDS Boston (US)
  • BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish (CA)
  • Bruxelles Panthères (BE)
  • Campagne de boycott des supporters d’Israël au Liban (LB)
  • Campagne tunisienne contre la normalisation avec l’entité sioniste (TN)
  • Campagne Unitaire pour la Libération de Georges Abdallah (FR)
  • Canada Palestine Association (CA)
  • Canadian BDS Coalition (CA)
  • CAPJPO-Europalestine (FR)
  • Car t’y es libre – Istres (FR)
  • Centro Culturale Handala Ali (IT)
  • Collectif 65 pour la libération de Georges Abdallah (FR)
  • Collectif 69 de soutien au peuple palestinien (FR)
  • Collectif Boycott Apartheid Israël – Paris Banlieue (FR)
  • Collectif de soutien à la résistance palestinienne 59 (FR)
  • Collectif Palestine Vaincra (FR)
  • Comité BDS ULB (BE)
  • Comité tunisien pour la libération de Georges Abdallah (TN)
  • Comité Verviers Palestine (BE)
  • Communauté palestinienne en Belgique et au Luxembourg (BE – LU)
  • Couserans-Palestine (FR)
  • De-Colonizer (BE)
  • EFVE (Entr’Aide et Fraternité / Action Vivre Ensemble) Hainaut (BE)
  • Eritrea Tour for Friendship (BE)
  • Forum Démocratique palestinien en Europe (EU)
  • Free Palestine Maastricht (NL)
  • Front Mahasiswa Nasional (ID)
  • FUIQP – Paris Banlieue (FR)
  • Giovani e Palestina (IT)
  • Giovani Palestinesi d’Italia (IT)
  • IJAN – International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (INT)
  • Indonesian Palestine Alliance (ID)
  • International Solidarity Movement – ISM-France (FR)
  • Jeunes pour la Palestine – Nantes (FR)
  • Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste (CA)
  • Liga Argentina por los Derechos Humanos (AR)
  • Marseille Gaza Palestine (FR)
  • Masar Badil (INT)
  • Mouvement Citoyen Palestine (BE)
  • New Weapons Research Group (IT)
  • Orléans Loiret Palestine (FR)
  • PAJU – Palestiniens et Juifs unis (CA)
  • Plateforme Charleroi-Palestine (BE)
  • Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network (INT)
  • Samidoun Région Parisienne (FR)
  • SLAI Cobas Marghera (IT)
  • Société bahreïnite contre la normalisation avec l’ennemi sioniste (BH)
  • Unione Democratica Arabo-Palestinese (IT)
  • Union Juive Française pour la Paix (FR)
  • Victory to the Intifada (GB)
  • Voci nel Silenzio Palermo (IT)
  • Within our lifetime – United for Palestine (US)

To add your organizational signature to this call, please email collectifpalestinevaincra@gmail.com.