Prestigious Bike Race Corrects Reference to 'West Jerusalem' After Israeli Government Threatens to Withdraw Its Support
When the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most prestigious bike races, announced its intentions to launch off next year’s competition in Jerusalem, Israeli cycling enthusiasts were thrilled and the government promised its support. Earlier this week, however, things went downhill when the Giro d’Italia noted on its website that the race was slated to take place in “West Jerusalem,” a designation that ignores the reunification of the Jewish state’s capital in 1967.
Furious, Israel’s ministers of tourism and sports announced yesterday that they would no longer cooperate with the Giro d’Italia, making meeting the event’s extensive security demands all but impossible. The race’s organizers quickly responded, correcting their website this morning to note simply that the competition will be held simply in “Jerusalem.”