France Provides 24-Hour Security for Israeli Athletes Amid Protests and Tensions at Paris Olympics
The decision follows protests against Israeli athletes, sparked by a far-left lawmaker’s statement declaring them unwelcome
As the Paris Olympics draw near, France has announced it will provide 24-hour security for the Israeli Olympic team. This decision comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and widespread protests against Israel's participation.
In response to these protests, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed in a TV interview, "Israeli athletes will be protected around the clock during the Games."This move aims to address the security concerns raised by Portes' inflammatory comments and ensure the safety of the 88 Israeli athletes expected to compete.
Darmanin emphasized that the security arrangements include elite tactical units escorting the athletes to and from events, with hundreds of police officers deployed for key matches and ceremonies.
This heightened security is reminiscent of the 1972 Munich Games, where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by a militant group. The geopolitical backdrop of the Paris Olympics includes ongoing conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 40,000 innocent Palestinians. Estimates suggest that around 38,621 of these casualties were civilians, including 10,091 women and 15,780 children.
An estimated 10,000 Palestinians are missing and presumed dead beneath the rubble of their homes and other civilian infrastructure destroyed by Israel. The UN has confirmed that at least 90 percent of the population in Gaza has been displaced.
Israel’s offensive warfare in Gaza has incited strong reactions from various political factions in France. At a recent pro-Gaza rally, Portes declared, "We are a few days away from an international event which will be held in Paris, which is the Olympic Games... And I am here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris."
The Palestinian Olympic Committee has also called for Israel's exclusion from the Games, accusing Israel of violating the traditional Olympic truce due to its continued military actions in Gaza.
Despite these calls for boycotts and protests, Israel's Olympic Committee President Yael Arad defiantly told reporters, "It is a victory that the 88 athletes have made it to the Olympics."
Netizens were already fumed on the news that, Peter Paltchik, a Ukrainian-born Israeli judoka competing in the under-100 kg weight category, will be the flag-bearer for the Israeli contingent at the Paris Olympics. Paltchik was among those who signed bomb shells aimed at Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.
In a post on X after Israel launched its war against Palestinians, Paltchik shared a photo of munitions signed by him. 'From me to you with pleasure,' he wrote in the tweet, which sparked significant controversy.
Leyla Hamed, a UK-based sports journalist, commented that the presence of Israeli athletes like Paltchik 'is going to make this Olympics (in Paris) remembered as the Genocide Games.'"
Previously, the Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to exclude Israel from the upcoming Paris Olympics.
"The Palestine Olympic Committee has issued a formal letter to Mr. Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee, calling for the immediate exclusion of Israel from the Paris Olympics 2024. The Palestine Football Association (PFA) also sent the letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino," the POC statement read.
However, the request was declined by the IOC President Thomas Bach stated, that the Palestinian and Israeli national Olympic committees have been "living in peaceful coexistence."
Bach emphasized that the IOC's rules are "very clear" on such requests and that the Olympics are "not a competition between countries or governments," but "among athletes."
In contrast, when another country at war, Russia, was previously excluded from the Olympics by the IOC in response to the Russia-Ukraine War, it was decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete at the Paris Olympics as “neutral athletes,” without using their flags, emblems, or anthems.
The Paris Olympics, already mired in controversy over the security of Israeli athletes, faced further scrutiny when Adidas launched a campaign featuring Bella Hadid to promote the relaunch of its SL72 sneaker.
Originally introduced during the 1972 Munich Olympics—an event marred by the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinian militants—the sneaker's reissue became entangled in a political debate. This incident underscores the stark hypocrisy of the Paris Olympics' insistence that sports and politics should remain separate.
Bella Hadid, of Palestinian descent and a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, became the face of the campaign, sparking significant backlash. Pro-Israel organizations and individuals accused Adidas of insensitivity, arguing that featuring a model with a pro-Palestinian stance in a campaign tied to the Olympics was either a gross oversight or a deliberate provocation.
In response to the uproar, Adidas removed the campaign images from its social media platforms and issued a public apology. The company stated that any perceived connections to the tragic events of 1972 were unintentional and expressed regret for any distress caused.
Adidas announced plans to revise the remainder of the campaign to avoid further controversy. Adidas publicly apologized, stating, “We also apologize to our partners, Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign,” the statement concluded.
Journalist Mehdi Hasan criticized Jonathan Greenblatt, the national director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, for his tweet condemning Adidas.
Hasan stated, "Jonathan, this is straight-up anti-Palestinian racism & bigotry. Bella Hadid has absolutely nothing in common with the 1972 terrorists – other than the fact that she is Palestinian! Blaming people for the crimes of others who share their race or ethnicity is pure racism & bigotry."
Hadid has reportedly considered legal action against Adidas for not adequately addressing the historical implications of the campaign before its release.
