Mounting Pressure: Over 300 Anti-Israel Activists Demand Regulations For Israel In Upcoming Olympics

By Greg Moriarty | Thursday, 02 May 2024 09:20 PM
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Mounting Pressure: Over 300 Anti-Israel Activists Demand Regulations For Israel In Upcoming Olympics
Image Credit : Fox News - Demonstrators protest outside the Olympics venue.

Earlier this week, the Paris Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games was the focal point of a demonstration involving an estimated 300 protesters.

The bone of contention was the participation of Israeli athletes in the forthcoming Olympics, with the crowd demanding stringent restrictions on Israel's involvement in the Games.

The protest was marked by the conspicuous presence of Palestinian flags, and chants decrying Israel's "institutional participation" in the Olympics, with the ongoing conflict in Gaza cited as a key reason. The protesters drew parallels with the case of Russian athletes, who are set to compete under a neutral flag this summer, with Russian government officials barred from attending the Games. They argued that the International Olympic Committee should impose similar protocols on Israeli athletes.

Nicolas Shahshahani, a participant in the protest, pointed out the swift action taken against Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine. "They didn’t need more than four days to decide to ban Russia and Belorussia from the Olympics after the invasion of Ukraine," Shahshahani said. "They are prepared to welcome the Israeli delegation."

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French President Emmanuel Macron has previously expressed support for the IOC's decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag, despite the Ukraine invasion. He also defended the right of Israeli athletes to participate under their national flag, despite Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, which began on October 7. This followed an attack by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 hostages.

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"We cannot say that Israel is attacking," Macron stated. "Israel was a victim of a terrorist attack to which it is now responding to in Gaza."

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The demonstration occurred in the wake of anti-Israel protests and attempted building occupations at two prestigious universities in the Paris region, inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments on U.S. campuses.

The eagerly awaited Olympic Games in Paris are set to commence on July 26, with the Paralympics scheduled to start on August 28 and conclude on September 8.

This report includes contributions from The Associated Press.

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