Mr. Marco Scolaris,

My name is _____ and I am a climber from [your country] [Add other relevant info. Do you belong to any climbing association? Are you a member of any professional associations like UMGA?]. I am writing to you and the World Climbing General Assembly today regarding the urgent matter of Israel’s ongoing representation in World Climbing events. Their inclusion in your competitions is a flagrant violation of World Climbing’s statutes and Code of Conduct, and your failure to expel them is a breach of the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

The Israel Climbers’ Association (ILCA) is participating in the illegal occupation and theft of Palestinians’ climbing areas. The ILCA even plagiarizes the Climbing Palestine guidebook while claiming (and renaming) a Palestinian crag for Israel, even though it is on Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and was first developed by Palestinian and international climbers. This crag was originally named Ein Yabrud by the first ascensionists, but the Israeli guidebook, bearing the logos of the IFSC and UIAA, renames the crag after an illegal Israeli settlement. In fact, at least 6 climbing areas advertised by the ILCA as being in Israel are actually in Occupied Palestinian Territory, in or near settlements that are illegal according to the EU and the UN. Evidence of this and more is publicly available at https://www.banisraelfromifsc.com/.

The ILCA is also providing support for Israel’s military, which is carrying out an extremely well-documented genocide of the Palestinian people, in open defiance of mandates from the UN and the International Court of Justice. Posts on the ILCA’s social media proudly describe their deep relationship with Brotherhood Pre-Military Academy, a group that prepares recruits for service in Israel’s military. Through them, the ILCA has provided intensive training to Israeli military recruits, teaching mountain climbing, rappelling, and physical challenge programs, even having participation by members of Israeli special forces units such as Maglan and Sayeret Matkal.

In 2024, an advisory opinion from the UN confirmed that international human rights law applies to private international organizations such as sports federations, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UN has expressly stated through a communication to FIFA in October 2024 that allowing clubs and federations operating in settlements to participate in international competition would amount to recognizing as lawful the situation arising from Israel’s continued presence in the OPT. Furthermore, World Climbing’s own statutes explicitly bind it and the national federations to high standards of ethics and non-discrimination.

It is obvious that the actions of the ILCA are unethical and illegal in any context, and alone are enough to warrant their expulsion from World Climbing. However, and most importantly, their actions cause direct harm to the Palestinian climbers and the Palestinian federation. They plainly obstruct Palestinian climbers’ ability to train, to climb freely, and to compete as peers with the other climbers on World Climbing’s stage. Meanwhile, the ILCA benefits from the illegal dispossession of Palestinian climbers from climbing areas on Palestinian land, erases the Palestinian first ascents at these crags, and helps train the military whose action has turned a third of the Palestinian population into refugees in the last 2.5 years.

To let this continue is an insult to our sport, and to every athlete on your stage who works hard expecting fair and ethical competition. It is past time to get apartheid and genocide out of climbing. I await your swift action on this very important matter.

Thank you.