Maccabi Australia withdraws from Maccabiah Games

Maccabi Australia has made the difficult decision and withdrawn its team from next month’s Maccabiah Games in Israel.

It stated it could not send athletes in the face of the Australian Government’s “do not travel” advice.

Barry Lipp, Maccabi Australia’s vice-president and head of delegation, told JWire the decision was “extremely disappointing” and had been made only after lengthy consideration.

“It was a hard decision to make, given that we know that we have team members who have been preparing for these Games for in excess of two years,” Lipp said.

“For many of those team members, this is the highest level of competition that they would have taken part in for their entire sporting career. So it is a huge disappointment.”

The 22nd Maccabiah Games are scheduled to take place in Israel from June 30 to July 14, after being postponed from 2025 because of the war with Iran. Organisers had stated that more than 8000 athletes from about 55 countries are expected to compete in 45 sports, although the event is now expected to be smaller than originally planned.

Australia had been preparing to send a substantial team. Earlier this year, it was estimated that the delegation would include about 300 athletes and 60 support staff.

Lipp said Maccabi Australia’s decision was driven by the safety, security and welfare of its athletes and officials.

“The decision that we’ve made really highlights the fact that we take the safety and security of our team absolutely as our highest priority,” he said.

“In really carefully analysing the situation and doing lengthy analysis of what the Games would hold for us, we regrettably came to the conclusion that we could not put at risk the safety, security and welfare of our team.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade currently advises Australians not to travel to Israel because of “the volatile security situation, armed conflict, civil unrest and terrorism”. Smartraveller says the advice was raised to “do not travel” on February 28 because of the deteriorating regional security situation, and warns that flights and border crossings may change or close at short notice.

Lipp said the government warning made sending a team “effectively untenable”.

“It’s almost impossible for us to send a team in the face of government travel advice, which instructs us not to travel,” he said.

“We very much wanted to support Israel and support the whole of the Maccabi global community in a time that’s very, very challenging,” Lipp said.

“We wanted to show our support through our participation. So it’s also another really disappointing factor.”

Maccabi World Union describes the Maccabiah as its flagship event and “the world’s largest celebration of Jewish unity and the centrality of Israel in Jewish life”.

The 2026 Games will be held under the slogan “More Than Ever” and will include involvement from members of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organisation and survivors of the October 7 attacks and their families.

Lipp said Maccabi World Union remained committed to holding the event.

“It’s a priority for Israel and for Maccabi World Union that it does proceed in the face of all that’s happening around them,” he said.

Some Australian athletes may still compete, but not as part of Team Australia.

Lipp said Maccabi Australia was aware of two footballers who intended to participate with a Latin American football team.

“It is possible for people to participate, but strictly not as part of an Australian team and not as a member of our delegation,” he said.

“They would participate as individuals, and that’s solely through their own connection with Maccabi World Union. It’s definitely not facilitated by us.”

The withdrawal has been felt deeply by athletes, team officials and organisers who had worked for more than two years towards the Games.

Lipp said Maccabi Australia had a dedicated games management team responsible for preparing Australia’s participation.

“It really is a very large undertaking,” he said.

“But for the most part, we really feel for our team members, those who’ve really been a part of the process for some for over two and a half years. Those are the people we really, really feel for.”

“I’m vice-president of Maccabi Australia, head of delegation for the Games, but I’m also an athlete,” he said.

“As well as being head of delegation for these Games, I was also looking forward to competing.”

The absence of an Australian delegation will carry added significance given Australia’s history at the Maccabiah.

At every Games attended by Australia, the team holds commemorations for the 1997 bridge disaster, when four Australians, Yetty Bennett, Elizabeth Sawicki, Greg Small and Warren Zines, died after a bridge collapsed over the Yarkon River during the opening ceremony in Tel Aviv. More than 60 people were injured.

“At every Games that we attend, we have commemoration ceremonies for the bridge disaster,” he said.

“We are hopeful that even without our presence, that will still continue at these Games. Maccabi World Union will still hold a commemoration ceremony.”

Lipp said the Maccabiah was about far more than sport.

“The Maccabiah Games are really, really important for those who participate in what we hope is to establish a lifelong relationship both with Israel and with the Jewish community and Maccabi Australia,” he said.

“It’s much, much more than just a sporting event.”

Maccabi Australia is now looking towards the next major international opportunity for its athletes, the Maccabi Pan American Games in Uruguay in December 2027. The next Maccabiah in Israel is due in three years because of the 2025 postponement.

Lipp said he expected strong Australian interest in the Uruguay event, particularly from athletes who had missed the chance to represent Australia in Israel.

“There will be many team members who will be really looking for an opportunity to represent Australia,” he said.

“I know, from having participated in the Pan American Games in the past, that they’re fantastic. The last Pan American Games took place in Buenos Aires, just after COVID. It was a fantastic Games; the spirit was terrific, and I expect that the spirit at the Games in Uruguay, at the resort city of Punta del Este, will be very similar.”

“The silver lining in all of this really is that we’re now only three years away from the next Maccabiah Games,” Lipp said.