THE controversy over Israel’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics is heating up. Israel’s flag bearer Peter Paltchik is reportedly involved in a bomb scandal targeting civilians in Gaza.
In a social media post, Paltchik, a 32-year-old judoka, showed a picture of a rocket being launched at Gaza with the caption “From me to you with pleasure.”
Paltchik was also involved in another incident, in which she disrupted a pro-Palestinian protest in Japan while wearing an Olympic uniform, adding to existing tensions.
The crisis follows news that Tunisian wrestler Amine Guenichi has been kicked out of the Olympics after being involved in a doping scandal. Guenichi, who won gold at last year’s Arab Games, was given a four-year ban after skipping anti-doping tests.
Reporting from Newarab.com, amid the tension, the Israeli delegation, including Paltchik and Andi Murez, faced global criticism regarding their participation.
There have been calls to ban Israel from the Olympics, especially following Israel’s brutal attacks on Gaza, which have resulted in thousands of deaths, mostly women and children.
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Iran and human rights groups have strongly condemned the presence of Israeli athletes, claiming they give legitimacy to actions deemed “genocide.”
The controversy escalated when the Israeli national anthem was booed by the crowd during their first football match against Mali at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Extra security was deployed to ensure order during the match, which was attended by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
Protests against Israel’s participation also emerged on social media, with many netizens calling for a boycott of the Olympics and criticizing the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) double standards in their decision.
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The Palestinian Olympic Committee demanded the ban on Israeli athletes, claiming that Israel had lost its moral right to participate due to its military actions that killed more than 400 athletes.
In response, comments on social media such as Instagram also showed support for the boycott, with accounts such as @saintcovello arguing that the Olympics should be a symbol of national unity and not a war game.
The controversy adds complexity and tension to the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, leaving questions about its impact on the world’s biggest sporting event and how the international community will respond to the evolving situation. (Z-8)
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