Current:Home > FinanceIsraeli athletes to receive 24-hour protection during Paris Olympics -Zenith Money Vision
Israeli athletes to receive 24-hour protection during Paris Olympics
View
Date:2025-04-15 23:00:58
PARIS −Israeli athletes will receive 24-hour protection during the Paris Olympics, France's interior minister said, after a far-left lawmaker said Israel'sdelegation was not welcome and called for protests against theirparticipation.
The Games begin on Friday amid pronounced security concerns and heightened geopolitical tensions over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Israel's war against Hamas that has devastated Gaza has become a lightning rod among France's far left, with some critics accusing pro-Palestinian members of antisemitism.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in a TV interview on Sunday evening that Israeli athletes would be protected around the clock during the Games, 52 years after the Munich Olympics massacre in which 11 Israelis were killed by Palestinian militants.
More:IOC President Bach says Israeli-Palestinian athletes 'living in peaceful coexistence'
Darmanin spoke after far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party lawmaker Thomas Portes was filmed saying Israel's Olympic athletes were not welcome in France, and that there should be protests against their taking part in the Games.
Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from
"We are a few days away from an international event which will be held in Paris, which is the Olympic Games. And I am here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris," he said to applause, according to images posted on social media.
Portes did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Israeli embassy declined to comment.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said at a meeting with European Union counterparts in Brussels: "I want to say on behalf of France, to the Israeli delegation, we welcome you to France for these Olympic Games."
He said he would emphasise that point in an imminent phone call with his Israeli counterpart, and also "tell him that we are ensuring the security of the Israeli delegation".
Paul Benvie, one of the U.S. State Department officials coordinating Olympics security for Team USA, told Reuters that anti-Israeli sentiment was "one of a number of issues"Washington was looking at, and "part of the ongoing analysis to determine where do we need to adjust our strategies".
Some LFI lawmakers offered a partial defence of Portes' comments. Manuel Bompard, a senior party official and lawmaker, wrote on social media platform X that he supported Portes "in the face of the wave of hatred he is experiencing.
"Faced with repeated violations of international law by the Israeli government, it is legitimate to ask that its athletes compete under a neutral banner in the Olympic Games," he wrote.
Israel denies violating international law in its war in Gaza triggered by a cross-border Hamas attack in October last year.
In a sign of the complex security issues surrounding the Israeli delegation, a memorial ceremony for the Israeli athletes killed in the 1972 Munich attack has been moved from outside Paris' City Hall to the Israeli embassy.
The Palestinian Olympic Committee on Monday joined calls for Israel to be excluded from the Games in an open letter to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
The letter accused Israel of breaching the traditional Olympic truce, which is scheduled to run from July 19 until after the Paralympics in mid-September, with continued militaryaction in Gaza.
The Games kick off on Friday with an ambitious opening ceremony along the Seine with athletes paraded in barges down the river. Participation is optional, however, and Israeli officials have declined to say whether Israel's athletes willtake part.
veryGood! (31)
Related
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Suspected drone attack causes oil depot fire in Russian-controlled Crimea
- Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Step Out in NYC Amid His $1 Billion Business Deal
- Second pastor in Kenya accused of mass killing of his followers
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Twitter aims to crack down on misinformation, including misleading posts about Ukraine
- Suspected American fugitive who allegedly faked death insists he is Irish orphan in bizarre interview
- SpaceX brings 4 astronauts home with midnight splashdown
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Ulta 24-Hour Flash Sale: Take 50% Off Halsey's About-Face, Too Faced, StriVectin, Iconic London, and More
Ranking
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Sephora 24-Hour Flash Sale: Take 50% Off Anastasia Beverly Hills, Clarins, Lancôme, Dermalogica, and More
- What does a black hole sound like? NASA has an answer
- The Biden administration is capping the cost of internet for low-income Americans
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- The FBoy Island Universe Is Expanding With FGirl Island Spinoff and a New Home
- The U.S. warns companies to stay on guard for possible Russian cyberattacks
- With federal rules unclear, some states carve their own path on cryptocurrencies
Recommendation
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
King Charles III coronation guest list: Who's invited and who's stuck at home?
You're@Work: The Right Persona for the Job
Ben Affleck Reflects on Painful Mischaracterization of His Comments About Ex Jennifer Garner
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Proof Khloe Kardashian's Daughter True Thompson Is Taking After Kim Kardashian
The rocky road ahead for startups
One Tree Hill’s Hilarie Burton Shares How Chad Michael Murray Defended Her After Alleged Assault