Haniyyah holds phone call with Nourine praising his position

Gaza (QNN)- The head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyyah, on Friday held a phone call with the Algerian judoka, Fethi Nourine, and praised his position after he rejected to compete against an Israeli player during Tokyo Olympics.

During a ceremony organized by Hamas’ bureau in Algiers, Haniyyah thanked Nourine for his stand, which “represents the position of the great Algerian people”, as he said.

“Amidst the winds of normalization, this heroic position comes by the Algerian judoka Nourine to represent the authenticity and loyalty to the nation”, Haniyyah said.

“It represents the position of beloved Algeria, which always stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people”, he added.

“The Palestinian people and the free people of the world are proud of this position.”

The International Judo Federation (IJF) has suspended Nourine and his coach from participating in any activities or competitions organized by the body for 10 years after refusing to face Israeli settler, Tohar Butbul, at Tokyo 2020.

Nourine had announced his retirement noting that it is a natural decision because the IJF’s punishment against him is too long and extends to long years, which automatically means that he will not be able to go back to competitions.

However, Nourine added that he will be a coach in an Algerian club and that he is proud of his decision.

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