For Israeli and Palestinian Olympians, fear and triumph even before the flame is lit

Published: 25 July 2024

Last updated: 25 July 2024

Israel’s Olympic athletes have been receiving threatening messages by email and phone in the past week, as France is on its highest security alert in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games.

French authorities have arrested teen Islamic State sympathisers who planned on carrying out attacks during the Olympics.

Israel’s National Security Council has told Israelis travelling to Paris for the Olympics to exercise increased caution, warning that global jihadist and Iran-backed terror organisations “are seeking to carry out attacks on Israeli/Jewish targets around the Olympics”.

Israeli athletes are also bracing themselves for an angry reception, including protests outside games, boos inside stadiums, opponents refusing to shake their hands, or other staged provocations, amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

The Palestine Olympic Committee claims 400 athletes have been killed during the war in Gaza and called for the Israeli team to be banned as a response to the conflict.

France Unbowed lawmaker Thomas Portes said Israel's delegation was not welcome and called for protests against their participation.

But there was a momment of hope this week when Israeli and Palestinian athletes joined hundreds of Olympic athletes in a "Call for Peace" event at the Olympic village. Wearing scarfs with the message “Give peace a chance” and holding flags with the same words, they emphasised the powerful role that sport can play to foster peace and mutual understanding. The event included athletes whose countries are currently in conflict or war with each other.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Israeli athletes were “welcome” for the Paris Olympics and would be provided with 24-hour protection.

“Israeli athletes are welcome in our country. They must be able to compete under their colors because the Olympic movement has decided it,” he told France 2 television in an interview, adding that it was “France’s responsibility to provide them with security”.

“I condemn in the strongest possible way all those who create risks for these athletes and implicitly threaten them,” he said.

Israeli Sports and Culture Minister Miki Zohar said the budget for Israel’s security team has been doubled since the Tokyo Games in 2021, and that preparations for the Paris Games have been in the works for “more than a year”.

Palestinians celebrate inclusion

The presence of Palestinian athletes at the Paris Olympic Games is already a major victory for the team amid the conflict in the Middle East.

The Palestinian team for the Games consists of six athletes who will be competing in boxing, judo, taekwondo, shooting and swimming, with slim hopes of a medal. "Whether a medal or not, we already win," swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab told Reuters.

"The fact that we're here. The fact that people don't want us to be here, they don't want us to play sports. They don't want us to exist."

Most of the athletes representing the Palestinian territories at the Paris Olympics were born elsewhere — Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Germany, Chile and the United States — yet they care deeply about the politics of their parents’ and grandparents’ homeland.

They are eager to compete but say their presence at the Games isn’t only, or even primarily, about sports.

"People don't want Palestinians to exist. They look at the flag and they don't want it. So, to be here is a win," said Al Bawwab, who will be the team's flag bearer during the opening ceremony.

The politics of the Israel-Hamas War are unlikely to stay out of the Paris Olympics, which begin on Friday.

Shin Bet security agents to secure Israeli athletes throughout Paris Olympics (Times of Israel)

France to give 24-hour protection to Israeli Olympics team amid Gaza tensions (Reuters)

For Palestinian athletes, the Olympics is about more than sports (AP)

With Israeli athletes in Paris, Palestinian Olympics team repeats call to ban them (Times of Israel)

Palestinians are winners by just being at Paris Games, say athletes (Reuters)

Israel urges citizens attending Olympics to be cautious, warning of terror threats (Times of Israel)

Olympic athletes call for peace (Olympics.com)