“I’m here to say no… Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris.” As the Israeli genocide in Gaza continues, many people across France and the world would probably agree with this sentiment expressed by Thomas Portes, a member of the French National Assembly. It seems, however, that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not. For them, the killing of over 39,000 Palestinians, a disproportionate number of whom are children, in nine months; policies of deliberate starvation; the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, universities and sports facilities should not have any bearing on Israel’s participation. Their presence at this year’s Olympic Games, which will run from 26 July to 11 August, and are followed by the Paralympics from 28 August to 8 September, will be a perpetual stain on this global competition. It is but the latest example of an international body illustrating its hypocrisy, duplicity and complicity in Israel’s ongoing crimes.
Earlier this week, the Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) called on the IOC to ban Israeli athletes from competing in Paris. They noted that Israel had violated the Olympic Truce, which calls on all participating countries to cease all conflict for a seven day period before and after the Games. This tradition, which dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks, was intended to allow safe passage for athletes of warring countries. Israel, however, in the last week, has continued to intensify its bombardment of the Gaza Strip – killing hundreds in the process (not to mention its attacks on civilians in Lebanon and Yemen).
The POC petition also argued that Israeli policies have denied Palestinian athletes safe passage and noted that at least 400 Palestinian athletes have been killed since 7 October. Among them was Hani Al-Masdar, the manager of the Palestinian Olympic national football team, who was murdered in an airstrike on 6 January.
In response to the POC’s request, Thomas Bach, the IOC President, said that he would not be drawn into “political business”. Bach, a German lawyer and former Olympian, failed to mention that Israel had destroyed the POC’s Gaza headquarters in an airstrike in January. Nor did he acknowledge that members of Israel’s Olympic team have revelled in the genocide of their Palestinian peers. Peter Paltchik, who will be Israel’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, for example, posted a picture of himself signing rockets targeting Gaza on his personal Instagram with the caption “From me to you with pleasure”.
Bach went further and insinuated that the IOC was doing the Palestinians a favour by allowing them to participate in the international competition. “Palestine is not a recognised member state of the UN but the NOC… [enjoys] the equal rights and opportunities like all the other NOCs.” In other words, the Palestinians should shut up and be grateful to their benevolent IOC overlords.
This supremacist language is in contrast to the Committee’s response to when Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. At that time, the IOC was quick to condemn the act and immediately banned Russia from participating. It reaffirmed this decision in October 2023, stating that Russia had broken the Olympic Charter. Athletes from Russia who chose to compete under a neutral flag were also vetted to make sure that they did not express any support for the war in Ukraine, including through social media. It would be safe to say, then, that if a Russian athlete had signed a rocket destined for Kyiv, with the message “From me to you with pleasure”, had mocked the victims of bombings, or been members of the army (as many Israeli athletes are) they would not be present in Paris.
Historically, the IOC banned apartheid South Africa between 1964 and 1988 from participating in the Olympic games. Their decision to uphold the Olympic charter then played a pivotal role in isolating the South African apartheid regime.
It is ironic in the face of major international organisations, including Amnesty International, stating Israel is practising apartheid policies and the ICJ considering a plausible genocide is being committed in Gaza, the IOC remains oblivious to its obligations.
Those seeking to ban Israel from the Olympics are not seeking a favour from the IOC. They want the IOC to uphold its charter, the historical precedence it has set and treat all equitably. By allowing Israel to participate in the Olympic games while it is carrying out a genocide and exercising apartheid policies, the IOC declares its bias and is complicit in the occupation of Palestine and genocide. For the sake of justice, equality and uniformity, the IOC must ban Israel from the Olympic games.
