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France Unbowed MP sparks outrage by saying Israeli Olympians not welcome (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 months ago by girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to c/world@lemmy.world

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An MP for the radical-left France Unbowed party has sparked outrage after saying Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympics and calling for protests against their presence.

Citing Israel’s war in Gaza, Thomas Portes told a pro-Palestinian gathering in Paris on Saturday: “We are just a few days away from an international event to be held in Paris, the Olympic Games. And I’m here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris. We have to use this deadline and all the levers we have to mobilise.”

Yonathan Arfi, the head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), described the comments as “indecent” and “irresponsible”, accusing Portes of “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes”.

Arfi reminded the MP that 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics and said the country’s Olympians were “already the most in danger” at the Games.

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[-] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 69 points 2 months ago

Ah yes we are absolved from all our currently ongoing crimes, due to previous crimes committed against our ancestors. Logic much.

[-] themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 months ago

*due to previous crimes committed against our ancestors as retaliation for the exact same thing we're doing right now

[-] SirDerpy@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

It's geopolitical narcissism. This is DARVO (deny, attack, reverse victim and offender).

If you're American and don't like this then know we've got a gigantic splinter in our own eye.

[+] naught@sh.itjust.works -7 points 2 months ago

I mean, Hitler was at the Olympics. What have these athletes done to personally contribute to genocide? Should Americans be unwelcome for Vietnam? Iraq? Afghanistan? Gitmo? Any of the various coups in South America? Grenada?

Just a thought. Not sure of the correct course of action here.

[-] puppy@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

What have these athletes done to personally contribute to genocide?

They might have not anything wrong. That's why they should be allowed to compete under a neutral banner.

A recognition for all the hard work they have done. But Israel the terrorist state should not be recognised.

[-] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Just read another article and found this. I havent checked the quality of this news source but here u go:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/christina-assi

We have requested a ban of Israel at the Olympics because we believe that such ethics don't reflect the spirit of the Olympics," POC deputy secretary-general Nader Jayousi toldKyodo News, pointing to evidence including Israeli athletes visiting IDF troops and posting pictures of signed bombs.

Jayousi said it "should be the concern of the IOC" that Israelis who are "proud of slaughtering people"—a clear violation of the Olympic spirit—are set to compete in Paris.

[-] naught@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

That's fair I think

[-] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yes, US athletes absolutely should not be welcome for the many atrocities their country has commited and still comitts.

Russian athletes are not allowed to partake as russians and need to use neutral colors, flags, anthems and are not allowed to be supported by russian organisations duevto their invasion of Ukraine. The same should be applied to Israelis and US athletes.

[-] naught@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Maybe that's reasonable. Where do we draw the line? What's the statute of limitations on an atrocity? What is terrible enough to warrant a ban? What about having capital punishment? Depending on where you draw the line, I feel like a lot of the world would be stripped of their colors at the Olympics, which to me feels like it defeats the purpose.

ty for your take

edit: added example

[-] puppy@lemmy.world 49 points 2 months ago

They can compete under a new flag like the Russians did awhile ago.

[-] ad_on_is@lemm.ee 22 points 2 months ago

already the most in danger

yeah, that's typical fascist propaganda. "we are the victims here", despite killing thousands of innocent civilians including women and children.

[-] Cromulons@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Truce

[-] Monstera@lemmy.ml 18 points 2 months ago

Does that apply to the palestinian athletes? Oh, wait, most have been genocided already

[-] NobodyElse@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 months ago

This really is the right answer, as much as I despise what Israel is doing.

The Olympics should be about increasing non-hostile relations between people of the world and I don’t think anyone should be excluded.

Complicating this stance though is the compulsory military service that means that the attending athletes are associated with the military and the ongoing atrocities.

[-] Artyom@lemm.ee 12 points 2 months ago

If your neighbor is under investigation for murdering their spouse and children, do you invite them to the pub on Fridays in the name of improving non-hostile neighborly relations?

[-] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago

It's not the right answer though. Israel is waging war against their own people in essence, not against a foreign nation.

They should be held to the same standards as Russia or worse.

[-] awesome_lowlander@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago

Who's outraged, besides the war criminals?

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 2 points 2 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

An MP for the radical-left France Unbowed party has sparked outrage after saying Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympics and calling for protests against their presence.

Arfi reminded the MP that 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics and said the country’s Olympians were “already the most in danger” at the Games.

Portes later told Le Parisien newspaper that French diplomats should put pressure on the International Olympic Committee to ban the Israeli flag and anthem at the Games, which open on Friday, “as is done for Russia”.

The French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, said: “The hints of antisemitism in his [Portes’] comments are obvious.”

Israel’s football team is scheduled to play its first match of the Olympics against Mali in Paris’s Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony.

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this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2024

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