Give justice a chance: Israel’s presence at Paris 2024 goes against what the Olympics stand for
Though athletes from Russia and Belarus have been sanctioned due to the war in Ukraine, there has been no action against players from Israel.
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This article originally appeared in The Field’s newsletter, Game Points, on July 31, 2024. Sign up here to get the newsletter directly delivered to your inbox every week.
Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal wore a specially embroidered white shirt as he carried his nation’s flag in the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 26.
The opening day of an Olympic Games is a festive occasion. It marks, with great pomp, the start of an edition of the most prestigious sporting event in the world. At the Games, special regard is accorded to the Parade of Nations, the ceremony in which the contingents from each country make an appearance to celebrate national pride and the spirit of sportsmanship.
Abu Sal’s outfit depicted bombs from a fighter jet falling on a child playing football on a bright sunny day. His mark of homage to the victims of Israel’s war on Gaza stood in stark contrast to a much-publicised gesture by one of Israel’s flag bearers, Peter Patchik.
Paltchik, a 32-year-old judoka and a bronze medallist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in a now-deleted tweet, had posted photos of ammunition shells on which he had scrawled, “From me to you with pleasure.” He added the hashtags #HasmasisISIS and #IsraelAtWar.
Israel’s participation in the Olympic Games has been widely condemned...
