Basketball player Julian Kazzouh The Lebanese Basketball League witnessed controversy when the Sagesse team tried to registered a Lebanese player who previously played for an Israeli team. Julian Kazzouh, an Australian-born player of Lebanese origin, formerly played in the Israeli Basketball League for the club Ironi Ramat Gan.
Under Lebanese law citizens who visit Israel are considered to have committed an act of “great treason.”
Sagesse attempted to include Kazzouh into the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB) board of directors, but was refused because he did not have Lebanese identification.
There are internal rules that forbid clubs from including foreign players who have formerly played in Israel.
Julian Kazzouh joined the Sagesse training camp in Turkey, which raised many questions in the Lebanese and Arab media and newspapers.