The UAE is taking a media battering over its decision to ban Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer. And the Dubai tournament at the heart of the matter isn't doing too great, either. First, Tennis Channel pulled the plug on international broadcasts in disgust for Peer's treatment. Then, Wall Street Journal Europe yanked its sponsorship, along with a special tennis-themed advertising section it had planned.
Most interestingly, the WSJ said it was motivated to act because the affair contradicts the paper's editorial policies. "The Wall Street Journal's editorial philosophy is free markets and
free people, and this action runs counter to the Journal's editorial
direction," the paper said in a statement.
In an op-ed in yesterday's paper, the WSJ keep up the pressure, rejecting UAE's claim that security (Peer's, that is) and not politics was the primary motivation for keeping the country Jew-free:
setting foot on its soil. Which gives the lie to the emirate's excuse
for excluding Israel's Shahar Peer, currently ranked 45 in the world,
from competing in next week's Barclay's Dubai Tennis Championships. In
another twist, the tournament's director added that Ms. Peer's
presence on the court might have "antagonized our fans." We used to
feel that way about John McEnroe, but that didn't stop us from watching.
With this kind of high-profile discrimination taking place, one can't help but wonder where the boycott folks have gone. I remember protest movements proclaiming "no one is free unless everyone is free." Unless you hold an Israeli passport, apparently.
Update: Israeli tennis player Andy Ram received a visa to enter Dubai to play in the men's tournament scheduled one week after the women's event. Apparently, security was no longer a problem, as tournament officials went out of their way to assure Ram's safety.
