Olympic organizers vowed to keep politics out of the Games. But less than a week since they opened, that has proven difficult.
Israeli athletes participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have been met with protests, death threats and abuse, as the Games takes place against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza and the spiraling security situation in the Middle East.
French authorities launched an investigation on Sunday after spectators at a football match between Israel and Paraguay unfurled a banner reading “GENOCIDE OLYMPICS” and performed “provocative gestures of an antisemitic nature,” Le Parisien reported.
Some spectators, who carried Palestinian flags, reportedly booed the Israeli national anthem. Referring to the banner and the gestures, a Paris 2024 spokesperson said the organization “condemns these acts in the strongest terms” and added the Olympics “are a time for harmony and tolerance.”
Israel sent 88 athletes to Paris to compete in 16 sports, the nation’s second-largest contingent ever. They are being given round-the-clock protection, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told French broadcaster France 2.
Three Israeli athletes have received death threats, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Two judokas, Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali and Morocco’s Abderrahmane Boushita, were reported to have refused to shake hands with Israel’s Barch Shmailov while Algeria’s Messaoud Redouane Dris failed to weigh in before his competition against the Israeli — which some have said was a deliberate move to avoid competing against him.
The head of Israel’s Olympic Committee, Yael Arad, called the situation a “disgrace” in an interview with Reuters. In a statement, the International Judo Federation (IJF) said it would launch a “full review and investigation” of the Algerian’s failure to pass the weigh-in.
“We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts,” the IJF said. “Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport.”
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said in a press conference that the body backed the IJF’s investigation and would “wait to find out” the findings before commenting.
Israel’s invasion of Gaza has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel’s offensive was launched in response to the Oct. 7 terror attack in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed.
The IOC previously rejected calls to prevent Israel from joining the Games over the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It did, however, ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating under their countries’ flags because the full-scale invasion of Ukraine violated the Olympic charter.
Palestinians have opted for their own means of protests. Boxer Wasim Abusal wore a shirt depicting children being bombed during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, telling Agence France-Presse it “represents the current picture in Palestine.” And the president of Palestine’s National Olympic Committee told the Guardian he will not shake hands with his Israeli counterpart unless the Israeli delegation recognizes his state’s right to independence.
Eight Palestinian athletes are competing in six sports during the Paris Olympics. The Palestinian National Olympic Committee said about 400 athletes have been killed in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7. Among those are karate champion Nagham Abu Samra, who was preparing to compete at the Olympics this year, according to Al Jazeera.
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