By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Greek former basketball player, coach and TV commentator Vangelis Alexandris’ recent comments on sportdog.gr about David Blatt not knowing Olympiacos would forfeit the recently scheduled Greek League game against Panathinaikos, filled with antisemitic slurs, caused a reaction by the World Jewish Congress.
More specifically, Alexandris mentioned in said interview that coach Blatt is lying about not knowing the team’s decision because “he has Jewish blood inside him”.
World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer commented on this statement with the following, as adapted by ESPN’s William Weinbaum: “Such expressions of antisemitism recall the darkest days in history and the oldest tropes in the book. It is inconceivable that someone in the sports community could make such shameful comments. We demand an immediate retraction and apology”.
The Greek Central Board of Jewish Communities also condemned the prominent commentator’s slurs with the following statement:
“The reference of the renowned ex-basketball player and coach Vangelis Alexandris to David Blatt, the Israeli coach of the ‘Olympiacos‘ basketball team, with regard to the latter’s “Jewish blood” as a factor indicating that “he is lying” (!), primarily insults the Greek sports and the sports spirit which aims at uniting and not dividing peoples.
The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece expresses the outrage of the Greek Jewry given that this statement includes all the ignoble antisemitic stereotypes that perpetuate hatred against the Jews. We hope that the reaction of the people of the sports will unequivocally condemn such statements and that Mr. Alexandris will acknowledge his fault and will apologize.
In a period that international sports associations launch campaigns against racism and antisemitism, such references, that instigate and escalate fanaticism and hatred in the sports stadiums, should not be tolerated in Greece.”