After Israeli ministers threatened to withdraw sponsorship from the Giro d'Italia over use of the term "West Jerusalem," race organizers chose to recognise Israel’s illegal annexation of occupied East Jerusalem.
The National Coalition of Christian Organizations in Palestine and the Palestinian Christian Initiative "Kairos Palestine" urge Pope Francis not to give his blessing or lend his name in any way to the 2018 Giro d'Italia
Organizations from over 20 countries, joined by Noam Chomsky, jurists John Dugard and Richard Falk, and members of European Parliament call, on Giro d'Italia to relocate the race from Israel.
In an open letter, Palestinian civil society groups urge the Pope not to lend his name in any way to the 2018 Giro d’Italia due to its whitewashing of Israel’s military occupation and grave human rights violations.