Tunisian Chess Federation backtracks on its refusal to receive Israeli contestant

The Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post claimed, Wednesday, the Tunisian Chess Federation will allow Israel to participate in the World Chess Championship in Tunisia. This move comes after Tunisian authorities backtracked on their refusal of a visa to a seven-year-old Israeli contestant, Liel Levitan, in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and rejection of normalisation with Israel.

According to the newspaper, the Tunisian Chess Federation issued a circular, Tuesday, stating that “players from all countries are welcome, without exception.”

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The newspaper said that the Tunisian Chess Federation had been subjected to pressure to allow Israeli participation in the 2019 World School Chess Championship in the Tunisian city of Sousse, despite the Tunisian law’s rejection of normalisation with the Israelis.

The Tunisian Chess Federation is subject to the orders of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), which threatened to revoke Tunisia’s privileges to host the match. Israeli authorities who put pressure on the Federation, and also required Tunisians to grant other visas allowing other Israelis to accompany the girl.