Cycling team removes Israel name after pro-Palestine protests

Following mass pro-Palestinian protests, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team has rebranded its name and removed Israel from it.

The move was confirmed in a statement released on Monday, just weeks after pressure from its sponsors.

The Israel-based team owned by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams has been subjected to widespread criticism over Israel’s war on Gaza.

Adams has backed Israel’s ongoing genocide by saying that the has done “miracles” in its fighting in Gaza and elsewhere.

Last month, protesters disrupted several stages of Spain’s Vuelta because of its participation in the prestigious three-week cycling event.

Amid public pressure, the team was forced to remove its full name from its jerseys midway through the race. And later, it had decided to abandoned it completely, after pro-Palestinian demonstrators entered part of the course in Madrid.

Following the protests against it in Spain, Israel-Premier Tech was also excluded from the Giro dell’Emilia race on Saturday.

Explaining its decision to rebrand, the team said on Monday that it was moving away from its Israeli identity out of a “steadfast commitment to our riders, staff and valued partners”.

The statement also confirmed that Adams, its owner, would no longer speak on behalf of the team.

Instead, he will focus on his position as president of the World Jewish Congress, Israel, it said.