Threats and Tensions at the Paris Olympics: Israel’s Team Receives Death Threats Amid Gaza Tensions
As the world converges on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, tensions are running high for the Israeli delegation. According to Yael Arad, the President of the Israeli National Olympic Committee, the team has received centralized threats meant to generate "psychological terror" in athletes.
The threats were made public after Paris prosecutors launched an investigation into emailed death threats to athletes last week. The personal data of some Israeli athletes was leaked online, prompting concerns about athlete safety.
Tom Reuveny, a 24-year-old Israeli athlete who won gold in windsurfing over the weekend, shared his concerns about the threats. "I don’t think any politics should be involved in sport, especially in the Olympic Games," he told the Associated Press. "Unfortunately, there is a lot of politics involved, not in the games of the people who don’t want us to compete and don’t want us to be here. I’ve gotten quite a few messages and threats."
Reuveny’s sentiments are echoed by the Israeli government, which has called for the Olympics to remain a neutral space. However, the Palestinian delegation has used the summer Games as an opportunity to draw attention to the struggles faced by Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israel-Hamas war has claimed over 39,000 Palestinian lives and wiped out entire families. As global leaders urge a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he will accept nothing less than a "total victory" against Hamas.
The world is coming together in Paris at a moment of global political upheaval, with multiple wars, historic migration, and a deepening climate crisis all rising to the forefront of conversation in the Olympics.
In a further development, Palestine’s Olympic team has demanded that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ban Israel from competing in the Olympics, alleging that the country has violated the Olympic charter. The Palestinian delegation has yet to receive a response from the IOC and plans to take their plea to higher sports courts.
For Israeli athletes, the experience is complicated. Israel’s team has been met with jeers in stadiums during the national anthem, and athletes have arrived at events under heavy police escort. As Yael Arad noted, "It’s not easy to be an Israeli athlete in the international arena these days."
Additional sources: AP
