FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 19, 2009

Lawmakers Respond To Dubai's Ban On Israeli Tennis Player By Proposing Professional Sports Anti-Discrimination Law In New York

Pictures are available here: www.nyad25.org/21909picture.htm

Video is available here: http://vimeo.com/3284910

             Today, in front of the USTA National Tennis Center, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and in response to the United Arab Emirates' decision to bar Israeli tennis champion Shahar Peer from the Women's Tennis Association's Dubai Tournament, New York State Assemblyman Rory I. Lancman and State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky unveiled legislation to prohibit professional sporting events in New York sponsored or sanctioned by an organization whose events discriminate against teams or players based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation .

            "Athletics should unify people across cultural divides, and international sporting events should not be used as venues for bigotry and prejudice; organizations that are complicit in discrimination against athletes should understand that they are not welcome in New York State," said Assemblyman Lancman.

            "Politics has no place at an international sporting event.  The United Arab Emirates wrongly denied an Israeli citizen, Shahar Peer, a visa to participate in the Dubai tennis tournament championship last week solely because she is an Israeli citizen. Sports should bring people together, not serve as an outlet for antisemitic causes. I am disturbed that prejudice stood in the way of a tennis star's opportunity to play and honor her commitments to her fans and sponsors," said Senator Stavisky.

            The Anti-Defamation League provided the following statement from ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman: " In recent years, we began to see an effort by the UAE to overcome years of a policy of isolation of Israel and Jews with a more open policy in commerce, industry, education and tourism.  Therefore, we are greatly disappointed and find the UAE decision to refuse entry to Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai a troubling step backward. This decision violates the guidelines of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which sponsors the tournament.  International sporting events should not be politicized. We hope that Dubai and the WTA will be able to quickly find a satisfactory solution to the problem.  However, if they are not able to do so, and Israelis continue to be barred, we believe the WTA should consider an appropriate response to this violation of its rules, including removing the Dubai Tennis Championship from its 2010 tour. This unfortunate decision could be especially problematic for the numerous American businesses, academic institutions, movie studios and others who were invited to establish or are considering partnerships and programs in the UAE on the understanding that they could operate as they do in their home countries. When an ADL delegation visited Dubai in 2007, we were encouraged by assurances from the leadership that they would continue to pursue a policy of bringing businesses and academic institutions from Europe and the U.S. to Dubai. This latest action is clearly counter to those assurances. We are hopeful Dubai will quickly return to the meaningful and productive path of openness it had been pursuing."