Some spectators, who carried Palestinian flags, reportedly booed the Israeli national anthem. Referring to the banner and the gestures, a Paris 2024 spokesperson said the organization “condemns these acts in the strongest terms” and added the Olympics “are a time for harmony and tolerance.”
Israel sent 88 athletes to Paris to compete in 16 sports, the nation’s second-largest contingent ever. They are being given round-the-clock protection, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told French broadcaster France 2.
Three Israeli athletes have received death threats, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Two judokas, Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali and Morocco’s Abderrahmane Boushita, were reported to have refused to shake hands with Israel’s Barch Shmailov while Algeria’s Messaoud Redouane Dris failed to weigh in before his competition against the Israeli — which some have said was a deliberate move to avoid competing against him.
The head of Israel’s Olympic Committee, Yael Arad, called the situation a “disgrace” in an interview with Reuters. In a statement, the International Judo Federation (IJF) said it would launch a “full review and investigation” of the Algerian’s failure to pass the weigh-in.
“We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts,” the IJF said. “Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport.”