As the Davis Cup World Group I tie between Canada and Israel prepares to get underway in Halifax this weekend, the spotlight sadly, isn’t just on the court. It’s on the controversies – and if we’re honest, the characteristic ‘Anti-Israel’ idiots – that have forced the matches behind closed doors.
What should be a celebration of international tennis at the Scotiabank Centre, has turned into a complete mess, with no fans or media allowed inside due to mounting security worries. Tennis Canada made the call earlier this week, pointing to intelligence from local and national agencies about possible disruptions, amid global tensions over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The decision came after consultations with the International Tennis Federation, as outlined in a press release from the organization.
“Intelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies, combined with disruptions witnessed at other recent events both in Canada and internationally, indicated a risk of significant disruption to this event,” Tennis Canada explained.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for everyone involved, but as CEO Gavin Ziv put it in a statement, it was their duty “to protect people while ensuring that this Davis Cup tie can still take place.” He added, “We were forced to conclude that playing behind closed doors was the only way to both safeguard those involved and preserve the event itself. While this outcome is very disappointing, it allows the tie to proceed in Halifax and ensures that our athletes can continue to compete at the highest international level. We are looking forward to returning to Halifax with Team Canada in the coming years to ensure we can fulfill our mission of promoting tennis and creating opportunities for fans and players to engage with the sport in Nova Scotia and across the country.”
It’s a sad world we live in when activists bring their political and racial hatred to the world of sport, and clearly, tennis is not immune to that.
The matches, set for Friday and Saturday on indoor hard courts, will still reach audiences through broadcasts on CBC and TVA Sports. But the absence of live spectators significantly derails the excitement that typically surrounds these events. It will be an eerie throwback to the Covid years, where spectators around the world were shut out.
A Big Disappointment for Halifax
Halifax was gearing up to host Davis Cup action for the first time since 2016, with local funding already locked in—$50,000 from the city’s hotel levy and $100,000 from the province of Nova Scotia. Yet, even before the closed-door announcement, there were red flags.
During an August meeting of a Halifax special-events advisory committee, local business leader Sue Uteck highlighted the potential backlash. She told the group she felt compelled to “address the elephant in the room,” warning that the event would be “very contentious to our city, under the current political climate.” Uteck noted that members had “been inundated with e-mails” and pushed against recommending the funding, though it ultimately went through.
These attention-seeking pests, are try to ruin what should be a great event for the city of Halifax. No doubt ridiculous sums of money will wasted on these clowns, who continue to seek out any opportunity to make everyone’s lives as miserable as their own.
The pushback obviously stems from Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza, which have drawn sharp criticism and calls for boycotts in sports. An open letter set for release on Wednesday, signed by figures like former justice minister Allan Rock, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Stephen Lewis, and Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela—the grandson of Nelson Mandela—urges the Canadian team to sit out the tie….a completely ridiculous notion.
Drawing parallels to Canada’s 1978 boycott against South Africa during apartheid, the letter states, “That boycott didn’t just change scoreboards; it helped topple a regime built on human suffering. Your refusal to play Israel would be a thunderclap of moral clarity. It would tell every person watching that justice matters more than any trophy.”
Rock, in a separate email, explained his support: he signed because of his “conviction that the conduct of the government of Israel is so outrageous and unlawful that Canada should use every means to express its deep disapproval.”
Another letter, backed by over 400 academics, athletes, and others—including four-time Olympian Moh Ahmed and author Naomi Klein—demands that Sport Canada and Tennis Canada “refuse to legitimize this contest and to forbid Canadian athletes to compete against Israeli athletes at the Davis Cup and all other international events.”
Uteck, reflecting on the situation, placed the blame higher up: “This lands squarely at the feet of the International Tennis Federation, whether they want to sanction somebody or not.” She expressed sympathy for Tennis Canada, the players, and fans, recalling how the ITF has sanctioned nations in the past over military conflicts.
Intimidation Wins Again
On the other side, pro-Israel voices have decried the restrictions as a win for intimidation. Michael Levitt, president and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal, called it a disappointment, saying, “Whether it is the intimidation of Jewish and other businesses, the cancelling of Jewish and Israeli voices, or the targeting of sports, arts, Pride and political events, extremists are increasingly taking over our public spaces, making them unsafe and infringing on the rights of all Canadians to enjoy them.”
Similarly, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs lamented the closure, stating, “Cheering for Team Canada is part of what it means to be Canadian. Yet, a small group of extremists have hijacked the Davis Cup, silencing thousands of fans — many of whom travelled from afar — who simply wanted to show pride in their country.”
Activists aren’t letting up though, with groups like Independent Jewish Voices, Gazan Canadian Families, Palestine Solidarity Halifax, and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians—Canada planning protests outside the venue.
Asaf Rashid from the latter group argued that “isolation of Israel, including through sports boycotts, is necessary as both a consequence of its egregious violations of international law and to enforce compliance.”
This is all very moral of them, but where are the protests around countries like Afghanistan, who have virtually stripped the rights of all women away? Is that not trendy enough to get the world’s attention?
Palestinian activist Tarek Gazawi went further, slamming the decision to proceed: “To CBC … and all other media outlets out there, stop airing this event. Do not be complicit.”
He emphasized that allowing the matches amid ongoing violence and starvation is unacceptable.
This can only mean, according to him, that once Israel lays down its weapons, all the starvation and violence in the world will cease? Then we can all get back to sport. How very ideological of him….
Despite the pleas, CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly confirmed the network will stream the event as part of its sports coverage commitment.
Hopefully it will stream in massive numbers to show support for tennis, support for Canada, and support against the extremists trying to tear down any semblance of happiness in the world.
On Court:
Turning to the tennis itself, the winner advances to the 2026 Qualifiers, while the loser faces World Group I Play-offs.
Canada’s squad includes:
Gabriel Diallo (world No. 35), Liam Draxl (No. 117), Alexis Galarneau, Cleeve Harper, and captain Frank Dancevic.
Israel fields:
Orel Kimhi (No. 787), Daniel Cukierman (No. 142), Ofek Shimanov, Jordan Hasson, Roy Stepanov, with captain Jonathan Erlich—a former doubles champion who partnered Novak Djokovic to his only ATP doubles title—at the helm. Veterans Yishai Oliel and Amit Vales are out due to injury.
The draw pits Diallo against Cukierman first, followed by Draxl—making his Davis Cup singles debut—versus Kimhi. Saturday’s doubles has Draxl and Harper taking on Shimanov and Hasson, then Diallo faces Kimhi, and Draxl closes against Cukierman.
Players from both sides are staying focused amid the noise. Canada’s Diallo, speaking in a video conference, downplayed the impact: “At the end of the day, I don’t think it changes much. Regardless of who we have in front of us, we’re going to compete the same way. We’re going to leave it all out there and try to get the job done.”
He called it “uncharted waters” but added, “Unforeseen circumstances for my part, so we’re just going to have to adapt. I think as tennis players that’s our job throughout the year, adapting to different conditions. So yet again, it’s another situation that we have to adapt to.”
Captain Dancevic echoed that resilience: “It’s always nice to have a big crowd cheering you on, but we’re professionals in a sport. Thanks to COVID, everyone learned how to play with no fans. The guys are so dialled in, so whatever the atmosphere is out there, I’m confident in my team that they can adapt.”
For Israel, chairman Avi Peretz highlighted the pride in competing: “As always, we’re excited to represent the country in the Davis Cup. Especially in this period, I see great importance and honor in representing Israel, waving the flag, and playing the national anthem.”
Erlich acknowledged the challenges: “They are a tough and strong team. We are expecting a particularly challenging match against Team Canada, and we are excited to play in Canada.”
He stressed extra motivation from the security context: “The competition is taking place at a very sensitive time. It will be challenging. The security situation actually gives us extra motivation to stay alert and focused, and to do everything we can to make a strong impression.”
On safety in Halifax, he said, “No, I think Tennis Canada has treated us very well. We have security around us. We feel safe.” But he steered clear of topics away from tennis: “I have a lot to say, but this is not the time or the place.”
Erlich praised his young squad: “I am so proud of them,” adding he has “no doubt about what they can achieve when their heart is in the right place.” The team has been told to avoid media interactions about travel or logistics.
Cukierman, Israel’s top singles player here, shared his enthusiasm: “For me, it is very exciting to play the Davis Cup in Canada. They are one of the best teams in the world, so it’s a great opportunity for us to try to pull off a big upset. We are looking forward to it and preparing our best for this tie. We feel good and ready. We are flying very early and trying to adapt to the time zone there. It is exciting, and we expect great battles.”
Tennis is a worldwide sport, and generally, a very respectful sport. To see politics and hatred infiltrating our biggest team events is a sad blight on the game we love. Hopefully the tennis remains strong, and Canadian and Israeli supporters will watch in big numbers around the world. Sadly though, the extremists got what they wanted yet again.
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