Paris Olympics Makes Historic Bid Amid Global Turmoil
The 2024 Paris Olympics has kicked off amidst a historic backdrop, marking the first time the competition has achieved gender parity among athletes. The event has also attracted attention for its Seine cleaning efforts and integration of AI technology. However, the spotlight has largely fallen on the inclusion of athlete delegations from both Israel and Palestine, who will be competing in the games under close watch from activists worldwide.
As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach ushered in the games, saying, “Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living life in peace, as the one and only humankind, united in all our diversity,” the opening ceremony set a tense tone for Israel’s reception. The Palestinian delegation, recognized by the IOC in 1995 and debuting in 1996, sends eight competitors to the 2024 Paris games, with athletes competing in athletics, boxing, swimming, judo, taekwondo, and shooting.
Palestinian athletes arrived in Paris on Thursday, July 25, to a crowd of supporters, many urging the international bodies in attendance to recognize the Palestinian state and its athletes. “France doesn’t recognize Palestine as a country, so I am here to raise the flag,” said Palestinian swimmer Yazan Al-Bawwab. “We’re not treated like human beings, so when we come play sports, people realize we are equal to them.”
One day later, the group floated down the Seine, holding the symbolic red, green, and black flags and traditional keffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Many wore embroidered Palestinian outfits, with flag bearer Waseem Abu Sal, the first Palestinian Olympic boxer, wearing a shirt adorned with an image of a plane dropping ammunition on a child playing soccer.
Meanwhile, fans and activists protested Israel’s presence in Paris, booing the Israeli Olympic delegation as it took its spot in the parade. Protesters unfurled banners and hung posters around the city, calling for Israel’s exclusion from the games. One poster read: “When it comes to killing for sport, there’s no competition.”
The inclusion of Israel’s team has sparked calls for a boycott of the 33rd Olympic games, with precedent for IOC action in screening Russian athletes for public pro-military stances following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
As the games unfold, the world watches closely, aware that the Olympic spirit of peace and unity is being put to the test amidst global turmoil.
