Israeli Basketball Team Wins EuroCup Game in Spain Despite ‘High’ Risk Anti-Israel Protest, Flag Burning
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs Gran Canaria on Jan. 2, 2025, in a EuroCup match at the Gran Canaria Arena located in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. Photo: YouTube screenshot
The Israeli basketball team Hapoel Tel Aviv won a round 13 EuroCup match in Spain’s Canary Islands on Thursday, despite a scheduled anti-Israel demonstration outside of the stadium that Israel warned supporters about and the burning of an Israeli flag in protest of the game.
Under head coach Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Tel Aviv won an 87-64 victory in a matchup against their Spanish rivals, Gran Canaria, at the Gran Canaria Arena in Las Palmas. The Israeli team secured a lead in the first half 51-25 and ended the game with an 8-5 record. Gran Canaria played its worst first half ever by scoring a mere 26 points. The Spanish team lost its second straight game for a 9-4 record and also dropped to 5-2 in home games.
Earlier this week, activists from the pro-Palestinian group Canarias Insumisa burned an Israeli flag outside of the stadium in opposition to Israel’s military actions during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and the Jewish state’s participation in the EuroCup game.
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism published a “high” risk level alert about two Spanish far-left, pro-Palestinian groups promoting an anti-Israel demonstration on Thursday outside the Gran Canaria Arena in protest of the basketball game. The groups included Canarias Insumisa and Partido Comunista del Pueblo Canario, which is also known as the Communist Party of the Canarian People (PCPC).
The Israeli ministry said the two groups promoted the protest against Hapeol Tel Aviv on social media, and it was shared by other Spanish far-left, anti-Israel groups and individuals. Many of the same anti-Israel activists expressed support on social media for the flag burning that Canarias Insumisa organized earlier in the week, including Spanish far-left journalist Javier Espinosa.
“While the protest on January 2, which was shared with a large following, has garnered relatively low online traction thus far … the publicity surrounding the flag burning incident may increase the likelihood of violence or disorderly conduct among participants,” said Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
The Canarias Insumisa collective and the PCPC group both organize anti-Israel demonstrations, rallies, and other activities. The latter is also involved in the campaigns in Spain that support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. PCPC posted on Telegram on Dec. 30 a message that promoted the protest against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
“On January 2nd, we’ll see you in the streets to show our rejection of the Israeli basketball team Hapoel Tel Aviv. The Canary Islands say NO to Zionism!” the message read. The post included an image of a bloody basketball with a blue Star of David on it, along with text that reads, “Zionists Out of the Canary Islands!” and “No to the whitewashing of genocide through sports.”
