Disappointing: FIBA does not approve the return of basketball games to Israel
The isolation of Israeli sports on the international stage is deepening. In an official letter that arrived today (Thursday) at the desk of Israel Basketball Association chairman Amos Frishman, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa and CEO Kamil Novak announced the decision to keep the ban on international games in Israel in place. The move was decided at the end of the organization's executive committee meeting and based on a strict security assessment.
The isolation of Israeli sports on the international stage is deepening. In an official letter that arrived today (Thursday) at the desk of Israel Basketball Association chairman Amos Frishman, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa and CEO Kamil Novak announced the decision to keep the ban on international games in Israel in place. The move was decided at the end of the organization's executive committee meeting and based on a strict security assessment.
"Your request was discussed with great seriousness and thoroughly," the heads of FIBA Europe wrote to Frishman in the official letter. "Based on the assessment of the current situation in the entire region, as well as the opinion provided by the organization's security advisor, the executive committee decided to leave the current situation unchanged for the two remaining windows of the World Cup qualifiers."
The consequences: The national team, Holon and Herzliya in exile
The direct meaning of the decision is that the Israel national team will continue to wander. The two remaining home games in the second qualifying stage, against the Latvia national team (November 30) and against the Netherlands national team (February 28, 2027), will be held on neutral grounds overseas. In addition, this is a heavy blow for the Super League teams participating in the FIBA Champions League: Hapoel Holon and Bnei Herzliya will be forced to wander and find alternative host arenas in Europe.
It should be noted that the FIBA announcement comes as a direct continuation of our publication, according to which senior officials in Israeli basketball estimate that EuroLeague and EuroCup games will not return to sports arenas in Israel during 2026, and even for a significant part of early 2027. Despite the joint efforts of the Israeli teams to restore home-court advantage, the EuroLeague management refuses to approve the return of the games to the country, and the teams will be forced to continue hosting in Belgrade and Sofia.
