While the war led by Israel against the Gaza Strip has resulted in over 39,000 Palestinian casualties, including approximately 400 Gazan athletes, French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Tuesday, July 23, that « Israeli athletes are welcome » at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This statement raises serious questions about fairness and the Olympic spirit.
The Palestinian Olympic Committee denounces unfair and discriminatory treatment. It demands that « the same rule be applied to Israel » as was initially imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes following Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
Indeed, Russian and Belarusian athletes had to agree to compete under a neutral flag, a measure not considered for Israeli athletes despite their country’s military actions. This difference in treatment highlights a blatant double standard in the International Olympic Committee’s policy.
The unrestricted participation of Israeli athletes, while hundreds of their Palestinian counterparts have lost their lives and countless others are deprived of the opportunity to train or compete due to the conflict, raises important ethical questions about the inclusivity and impartiality of the Olympic Games.
The Palestinian Olympic Committee calls for an urgent review of this policy, emphasizing that sport should be a vector for peace and unity, not a tool to perpetuate political injustices. R.I
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