Organizers of the World Indoor Bowls Championships have renewed their invitation to Israeli players to participate in the championships set to be held in England next month, according to the BBC on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Israeli players would be barred from participating following a campaign by pro-Palestinian groups.
In their renewal of the invitation, organizers cited security measures as the reason for their initial move, the Israeli news outlet reported.
"We are pleased to announce that after various discussions, we managed to approve enhanced security measures for the event," the organizers stated, according to N12.
"We are therefore happy to say that the level of security will allow us to welcome the Israeli team to the event. The sole consideration behind the initial decision was the safety of all tournament participants, staff, and spectators," the statement reportedly continued.
"We fully understand how disappointing our previous decision was for the participants from Israel, and therefore, we worked to find a solution that would allow us to renew their invitation," the organizers noted.
'A significant escalation in related political concerns'
The earlier decision was condemned by a local parliamentarian and Jewish representatives.
The World Bowls Tour said in a statement the involvement of Israeli bowlers at the Scottish International Open in August had produced "a significant escalation in related political concerns."
"As a result of the intensity of the situation, the WBT Board, in consultation with our event partners and other relevant stakeholders, has made the difficult decision to withdraw the invitation for Israel to participate in the forthcoming World Indoor Championships," it added.