Israel Sailing wants decisions from World Sailing on visa antics

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 7 Jan 2016 The exclusion of Israeli sailors from World Championships is not just restricted to Malaysia but has occurred in two other countries hosting Olympic class World Championships in the past 12 months or so.

Israel Sailing Association's CEO Smadar Pintov told Sail-World that the Israel Sailing Team has experienced visa issues in Abu Dhabi, Oman and now Malaysia.

The situation now appears to be deep-seated, and the Israel Sailing Association is expecting some hard decisions from World Sailing's emergency Executive Committee scheduled for January 7-8, 2016.

Smadar Pintov told Sail-World.com that the two RS:X Windsurfer youth sailors, Yoav Omer and Noy Drihan were very disappointed not to be able to compete at the 2015 ISAF/World Sailing Youth World Championship when it was held in Oman in November - December 2015

'Of course, they are very disappointed. Even with the restrictions they sent us on the December 16, the sailors weren't afraid, and they wanted to go to the Worlds', she said.

'We had two world champion sailors, who really wanted to compete in the Youth Worlds. They were very disappointed when the visas did not arrive.'

'The parents wanted them to go.'

The two sailors are the current RS:X class World Champions but failed to receive entry visas from the Malaysian government that has had an anti-Israel immigration policy in place since 1998. The issue was known to the then International Sailing Federation when the prestigious youth regatta was awarded to Malaysia in 2011.

Heard little from Malaysians
After the Israelis were forced to cancel travel arrangements and withdraw from the regatta they had entered the ISAF said surprised by the Israeli action. ISAF, now re-branded as World Sailing is a co-organiser of the regatta and was the online entry receptacle for the 2015 Youth Worlds.

Pintov says little of the ISA communication was reciprocated by the Malaysians.

'We got an email on December 16 with a list of restrictions but have never, even now, have an approval of their visas.

'We never got a letter saying our sailors could go to Malaysia. We never received anything. Nothing.

'The only thing we received from Malaysia after we sent the documents on October 15, was the letter with lots of restrictions that arrived on December 16.'

'We sent lots of emails wanting to know the status of the entry visas. We asked, 'what is going on'?'

Would Israel have sailed with restrictions?
When questioned as to whether the Israeli team would have attended the 2015 Youth Worlds had the Malaysian authorities issued the requested visa with the 'grave' conditions (relating to the display of their national flag and anthem, team logos, having to enter as an ISAF team, having a communications block and being unable to purchase anything without Malaysian permission), the CEO replied:

'We couldn't agree to the restriction in the letter of December 16, but we didn't send our opinion of them because we wanted to wait to see if the visa was approved.'

'As long as we don't have visas, we don't have to deal with the conditions and restrictions.'

'If we don't have visas, we can't go. So why deal with the restrictions on something you haven't received?', she asked.

The Israel Sailing Association's stance was to wait for the visas, see if they were better or worse then expected, or if they were going to be treated like any other competitor at the event and have no restrictions placed on their entry.

'Why discuss whether we agree or disagree? Send the visas and we will talk about the conditions. Then we will tell what we can do and what we cannot do', was Pintov's response

'As CEO of the Israel Sailing Association, can I send two young sailors away telling them they cannot phone their parents? Nor can they send an email? It is very difficult to agree with restrictions like that,' she added

The End Game
Israel Sailing Association is very clear as to what it is seeking from the emergency Executive Committee meeting at the end of this week.

'Our position now is that the Israeli team must get the same treatment and demands as every national team gets and that we are not singled out for special treatment.

'We want the team to arrive with our nationality showing, with the team name, and wearing the Israel Sailing Association logo. Why can't we sail under our own name and not some other name? 'The End Game
Bottom line from the Israel Sailing Association is that they want an end to the political shenanigans that are played by the host countries of World Championships who don't have diplomatic relationships with Israel.

'We are doing everything now to ensure that in the next competitions in Oman Youth Worlds and Abu Dhabi World Cup events, that we can to be allowed to compete on the same basis as other teams', says Pintov.

'We will send a letter to Mr Croce (ISAF President). We gave an interview to Chris Atkins (ISAF Vice President) . We want to be able to sail like everyone else, 'she told Sail-World.com.

'We are no different. We are doing everything we can. This is our position.'

'We have to get our visas on time - and the same time as everyone else. We want to be able to compete without all the restrictions. It is obvious that is what must happen,' said Pintov in reference to the emergency meeting of the World Sailing Executive that has been called for the end of this week.

Israeli security not required
Some of those querying whther Israel Sailing Association has been genuine in its claims cite demands from the Israeli's that their athletes must have Israeli security.

Pintov denies that security was sought for their sailors at the Youth Worlds. 'No security was requested,' she said. 'We understand that no personal guards can come with weapons or arms. We understand that,' she said emphatically.

'In the Laser Radial Worlds, our team travelled to Oman without an Israeli guard. We accepted the terms of Oman and we assured then that we were happy with the local police as security.'

'If we are assured that the team will be secure then we are happy with that. But that is not a final answer because the final decision is made at a higher level than me,' she explained.

The sight of entry visa requests being lost in the politico-bureaucratic ether is becoming too familiar to the Israel Sailing Association.

Visas are either approved and withdrawn, not approved at all or just never arrive.

'This year there was a regatta in Abu Dhabi in late 2014. We were unable to go there. The visa 'disappeared'. We didn't get answers, and we couldn't go. We didn't make a fuss at the time, unfortunately,' she says ruefully.

'This year (November 2015) it was the RS:X World Championship in Oman. We got a visa but our Ministry of Sport, the ISA Board and the Israeli Guard, would not initially allow the team to go, because of the terms imposed.'

'We said that we couldn't go. But after three hours we sent another letter saying we were willing to agree to the terms, and would travel and compete without an Israeli guard.'

'But the Oman Government wouldn't return our visas. They said they could not re-issue our visa even though we wanted to go, and without guards.'

'They said they had already cancelled the visa and didn't want to re-issue a new one.'

Three countries on Israel's case
'We have three countries who do this to us - Oman, Abu Dhabi and now in Malaysia.'

With the support of the world sailing media and, at least, five major world sailing nations who dominated the Olympic medal tables, Israel Sailing Association wants the mess resolved in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics.

With its objective to promote sailing into developing sailing countries the former ISAF allocated several major Olympic class and Youth regattas to developing sailing countries, who also have foreign policies that are not sympathetic to Israel, and who do not have diplomatic relations with the country which has achieved considerable sailing success, also as one of the developing sailing nations.

'In 2016 we also the Youth Worlds in Oman. We want to make sure now to know after the World Sailing Executive Committee Meeting on January 8 that we are going to get visas, and that can go to the 2016 Youth Worlds,' Pintov told Sail-World.

She started as CEO of the ISA in 2012 and was unaware of the fact that the ISAF had flagged that there could be issues with entry visas for the Langkawi Regatta as early as November 2011.

However, the events of the past 12 months or so have changed all that. 'We are all now aware that countries who do not have diplomatic relations with Israel are hosting international championships. This will become more and more of an issue for us.'

'We want ISAF to solve this problem. They have the tools to do that. They can write an agreement with those a countries to ensure that every nation can go to World Championships on an equal basis if they wish. We don't want to find ourselves in this situation again.'

'We are waiting to hear some good decisions from ISAF,' she adds.

The CEO of the Israel Sailing Association said they were very heartened by the support of the major sailing nations. 'We have sent letters back expressing our gratitude for their support for us. it is really, really appreciated by all of us.'