Para leer en español, vea esta traducción de El Tiempo Latino.
Quick Take
Israel will send a delegation of about 85 athletes to the Olympic Games in Paris in July. Protesters opposed to the war in Gaza have called for limited participation by the Israelis, and a post on Threads falsely claimed Israel is “out” of the Games. The International Olympic Committee has said Israeli athletes will be allowed to compete.
Full Story
Israel plans to send about 85 athletes to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris next month, its second-largest delegation ever, according to the Times of Israel. But the war in Gaza presents security concerns for Israeli athletes and for the host country.
The fighting in Gaza began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostages on Oct. 7, sparking an ongoing assault by Israeli forces that has led to the deaths of more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The Gaza death toll has sparked protests around the world, including an April 30 rally in Paris where pro-Palestinian demonstrators called for limited participation by Israel in the Olympics. The protesters compared Israel’s situation to the International Olympic Committee’s restrictions on Russian athletes’ participation in the Games since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A post on Threads on June 17 took the call for action against Israel a step further, claiming, “ISRAEL OUT OF THE PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES.” Comments on the post said that was “great news.”
But it’s not true that Israel is “out” of the Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach said on March 6 that Israeli teams and individual athletes will be allowed to compete in the Paris Games, the Associated Press reported. “There is no question about this,” Bach said.
Since the attack on Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics, Bach said that “there were always special measures” taken regarding the security of Israeli athletes, and “the same will be true” in Paris, which will include competitions outside stadiums and on the city’s streets, as well as venues in other French cities.
Eleven members of the Israeli delegation were killed in September 1972 during an assault in the Munich Olympic Village by the Palestinian militant group Black September and a failed rescue attempt by the German police. Among other things, the militants sought the release of 200 Palestinians being held at the time in Israeli prisons.
French officials have held rehearsals addressing security concerns for the July 26 opening ceremonies on the Seine River, the Washington Post reported. Security plans include deployment of 45,000 police officers, 18,000 soldiers and 22,000 private contractors, officials said.
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Sources
Agence France-Presse. “Health Ministry In Hamas-run Gaza Says War Death Toll At 37,372.” Barron’s. 18 Jun 2024.
Britannica. “Munich massacre. Munich, Germany [1972].” Accessed 20 Jun 2024.
Dunbar, Graham. “IOC confirms Russian athletes can compete at Paris Olympics with approved neutral status.” Associated Press. 8 Dec 2023.
Dunbar, Graham. “Israel’s Olympic status not in question says IOC president Bach amid frustration with Russia.” Associated Press. 6 Mar 2024.
New York Times. “Israel-Hamas War: Israel Lowers Oct. 7 Death Toll Estimate to 1,200.” Updated 30 Nov 2023.
Noack, Rick. “Paris tests Olympic readiness with Opening Ceremonies rehearsal on Seine.” Washington Post. 17 Jun 2024.
Spiro, Amy. “On complex world stage in Paris, Israel’s Olympians hope to stay focused on sport.” The Times of Israel. 5 Jun 2024.
Turnbull, Alex. “Pro-Palestinian protesters call on Olympic officials to limit Israel’s participation in Paris Games.” Associated Press. 30 Apr 2024.