PM denies Australia too dangerous for international sporting events after ice hockey matches canned

The Prime Minister has dismissed suggestions Australia is not safe for international sporting events after Ice Hockey Australia cancelled a World Championships event over security concerns about Israel’s participation.

A “strictly confidential” email leaked on Monday to The Australian revealed IHA president Ryan O’Handley advised the International Ice Hockey Federation executive body that the World Men’s Division II (Group A) championships in Melbourne would be called off due to safety worries.

Speaking on the Today show, Anthony Albanese distanced the Government from the decision and rejected the idea that Australia was too dangerous to host events that could spark anti-Israel protests.

“We’ve just hosted a wonderful cricket Test series..Australia can host wonderful sporting events and we should. This is a decision made by Ice Hockey Australia. They’re not a body, I’ve got to say, I’m familiar with and it’s not a sport I’m familiar with, like most Australians,” he said.

“But we should be opposed, and are, as a country to any form of racism, but particularly to anti-Semitism,” the Prime Minister said.

“And we are a tolerant country that have got to have respect for every person, regardless of their faith and regardless of their ethnicity, just to respect people for who they are. And this is an unfortunate decision.”

The divisional matches of the ice hockey world championships were due to run concurrently with other matches hosted in Denmark and Sweden, Estonia, New Zealand, Mexico and Armenia.

In a written statement to The Nightly, Ice Hockey Australia said it stood by its decision.

“In the lead up to making a final decision on hosting the tournament, IHA and the event committee has met with a range of stakeholders, including Victoria Police and participating venues, and the decision was primarily made to ensure the safety and security of athletes, volunteers, spectators, and other participants.

“IHA does not shy away from making this decision with safety at the forefront.

“IHA is not in a position to comment on global issues outside the sport of Ice Hockey and did not intend for an internal email to be shared broadly.

“IHA will be making no more formal statements until the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirms the new host, so that our exciting sport and worldwide participants can continue competing in the sport they love.”

Melbourne has seen a series of regular and overwhelmingly peaceful pro-Palestinian protests since the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.

A Victorian Government spokesperson confirmed the Victoria police had stated there was “no threat” to the event.

“The decision to cancel the event was made by the organisation and was not made on advice from police,” said the spokesperson. “This event was not funded by the Government.”

Reports that the event had been canned have emerged amid a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Australia that have alarmed the Jewish community and sparked accusations from the Opposition and Jewish community leaders that the Government has been too slow to respond.

A fresh anti-Semitic attack left Jewish Australians in Sydney reeling in the early hours of Monday morning, when obscene graffiti was sprayed on a car.

On Tuesday, a man was charged for allegedly making threatening gestures at worshippers near two synagogues in Sydney’s upper north shore.

Last month a Melbourne synagogue was firebombed and counter-terrorism police continue to investigate.

The Prime Minister defended the Government’s record on Tuesday.

“We have taken action. We’ve appointed the first Envoy on anti-Semitism, Jilian Segal…We have changed legislation, including introducing legislation for anti-doxxing,” he said.

“We have put additional funding into security measures to support the Jewish community in response to the requests that we’ve received. We have, as well, banned hate symbols such as Nazi flags,” he said.

“We’re addressing in every single way possible these issues because we understand that it is very hurtful for the Jewish community.

“And at its worst, what we’ve seen is significant crimes developed, which is why we’ve stood up a special operation jointly between the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, the National Security Agency, and state police authorities.”

However, recent decisions by Australia to reverse its diplomatic position at the UN on Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories and to deny an ex-Israeli minister a visa have frayed relations with the Israeli government.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is preparing to travel to Israel in the coming weeks to mend fractured ties, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.