Australian chess champion Heather Richards boycotted Israel at the 46th chess Olympiad this week ✊🏻 🇵🇸 She said: "I am not playing. I am participating in the sporting boycott of Israel. Russia is currently banned from competing in the chess olympiad due to the invasion of Ukraine. Israel should be banned from the chess olympiad. I am doing this because Israel is committing a genocide. The chess olympiad is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, with over 200 countries competing this year. Letting Israel participate in major sports events allows them to engage in sportswashing of their reputation and to project an image of normality to the world while they commit genocide and apartheid. Over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7 2023, over 21,500 of which are children. There have been almost 1,400 fatalities since the “ceasefire”. At least 21,000 children have been disabled. Israel’s own internal documents state that the civilian deaths are about 83% of all deaths. In 2025, the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on Occupied Palestinian Territory found that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In 2026, they also found that Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children as part of their genocidal and atrocity crimes in both Gaza and the West Bank. The International Court of Justice has issued arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity for Netanyahu and other Israeli ministers. Israel should be banned from all sporting events just like apartheid South Africa was. I oppose genocide. I oppose the Israeli apartheid which denies Palestinians basic rights and dignity. I oppose the illegal occupations of the Palestinian territories as per the ruling of the International Court of Justice. I stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people."