Jordan forfeits match against Israel at U19 Basketball World Cup due to anti-Israel politics

Jordan’s national Under-19 basketball team forfeited its match against Israel on Sunday at the World Cup in Switzerland, citing political pressure to boycott. Despite maintaining full diplomatic relations with Israel since 1994, Jordan handed the Israeli team a 20–0 technical victory by refusing to take the court.

The Jordanian Basketball Federation confirmed that it canceled the match. 

“Following correspondence between the Federation and FIBA regarding the Under-19 team’s match against Israel in the World Cup held in Switzerland, which was supposed to take place on Sunday, the Jordanian federation requested that the game not be held. Accordingly, FIBA decided not to hold the match between the two sides.”

Ahmad Al-Hanandeh, who heads the Jordanian Basketball Federation, defended the decision, arguing that the federation wanted to protect the interests of Jordanian players. 

“We made the appropriate decision not to play against Israel in order to protect the interests of our players. We hope FIBA will view our decision from the right perspective and that there won’t be significant consequences for the federation or the players. We wanted to avoid exposing the players to any situation that could open the door to bullying, harassment, or psychological pressure that might affect their performance or safety,” Al-Hanandeh said in an interview with the Jordanian channel Al-Mamlaka. 

Jordan received praise across Arab social media, where there is still widespread opposition to any ties with the Jewish state. The Jordanian Royal news site argued “there is no dispute over the Palestinian cause” and claimed that the cancelled match was “a moral victory greater than any athletic result.”

However, the feelings among Jordanian players are likely mixed. It is only the second time ever (the first time was in 1995) that Jordan has succeeded in qualifying for the Under-19 Basketball World Cup. 

Amos Frishman, chairman of the Israeli Basketball Association, expressed regret over the cancellation of the match but showed understanding for the Jordanian players’ situation.

“We had hoped the game would take place, especially given the peace between the two countries. But I can also, to some extent, understand the Jordanians – they were under immense pressure,” Frishman said.

“Still, I hoped the match would be held. That’s the difference between sports and everything else – it’s supposed to bridge between nations. Our team and the Jordanians sit at tables next to each other in the dining hall, but there are things that are bigger than us,” he added.

The Jordanian team’s decision to forfeit the Israel match means that the Jewish state currently has a 2-0 record after previously defeating the host country, Switzerland. On Tuesday, the Israeli team will play against the Dominican Republic, hoping to secure the top slot in the group play ahead of the upcoming qualifying rounds. 

In 2024, Israel marked the 30th anniversary of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty. Unlike Israel’s close ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, Jordan has been reluctant to develop warm relations with Jerusalem due to extensive anti-Israel and anti-Jewish voices within Jordan.

In 2023, the Jordanian Parliament voted to expel the Israeli envoy and displayed a map with Jordan and “Palestine” while Israel was erased from it.