Maccabiah Treasurer Quits over Disqualification of Non-jewish Athletes

The treasurer of the Maccabiah games, Israel’s “Olympics,” announce his resignation today in protest against what he called the “unnecessary and shameful” events that led to the disqualification of teams during the recent eighth Maccabiah competition because they included non-Jews among their athletes. Shimon Kashi accused the chairman of the Maccabiah organizing committee, Pierre Gildesgame, of deciding on his own authority to disqualify the teams. He said that action damaged the images both of Israel and the Maccabiah.

The Uruguayan basketball team was disqualified on the eve of its semi-final game with the Israeli team after opposing teams complained that it had two non-Jewish players. Two Belgian brothers whose mother is not Jewish, were forced out of the water polo competition on a complaint by the Canadian team which the Belgians had just defeated. As a result, the entire Belgian team withdrew from the games. Maccabiah rules limit competition to Jews. The Israeli rabbinate insists that only the offspring of Jewish mothers are Jewish and that criteria was apparently used by the Maccabiah organizing committee. The affair drew angry protests from many segments of the public and more resignations by Maccabiah officials are expected.

Athletic events ended last week. But the eighth Maccabiah was brought to a formal close over the week-end with a celebration at the Ramat Gan stadium attended by the visiting athletes and some 40,000 spectators. Speakers, including Premier Golda Meir, urged the youngsters to settle in Israel now or return later for settlement. According to Mr. Gildesgame, at least 65 of the 1500 participants in the 1969 Maccabiah plan to settle here.