Israeli athletes in Rio endure ‘shocking’ hostility, taunting by Muslim nations

[Stelio Kontos]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...shocking-host/

The 2016 Olympic Games have been billed as an opportunity to put politics aside in the spirit of international camaraderie, but that’s not necessarily how it’s working out for Israeli athletes.

Animosity toward the 47-member delegation has triggered a reprimand from the International Olympic Committee and alarm from Jewish groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, which issued a statement this week decrying anti-Israel “hostility” in Rio de Janeiro.

“Shocking but not surprisingly, the Lebanese and Saudi delegations obviously have the wrong idea about the Olympic Games,” said a statement Wednesday by Roz Rothstein, CEO of the pro-Israel group Stand With Us.

“Instead of using the events to forget animosity and promote peace between people, they have brought their brainwashed minds to Rio,” she said. “How unfortunate that they could not implement the good, peaceful intentions of the Olympics, and instead have used it as a forum to spread hate and continued rejection of peace.”

The confrontations with delegations of nations traditionally hostile to Israel have marred an otherwise successful Olympics for Israel. Two days ago, judo fighter Yarden Gerbi won the bronze medal, making her the nation’s first medal winner since the 2008 Olympics.

On Sunday, however, the IOC issued a reprimand to the head of the Lebanese Olympic delegation after he blocked Israeli athletes from entering a bus that the teams were supposed to share to reach the opening ceremony.

Instead, Olympic organizers placed the Israeli athletes on a “special vehicle,” said Israeli sailing team trainer Udi Gal.

“The bus driver opened the door, but this time the head of the Lebanese delegation blocked the aisle and entrance,” Mr. Gal said on Facebook. “The organizers wanted to avoid an international and physical incident and sent us away to a different bus.”

He said he was “enraged and shocked by this event.”

“How is it possible that they let something like this happen and on the opening night of the Olympic Games?” he said.

Miri Regev, Israeli minister of culture and sports, blasted the Lebanese incident as “anti-Semitism, pure and simple, and the worst kind of racism.”
The Lebanese delegation head, Saleem al-Haj Nacoula, who was reportedly hailed in Lebanon as a hero, told Arabic media that he was “surprised to see the Israeli delegation approaching and trying to get on.”

“I told the bus driver to close the door, but a trainer who was with the Israelis prevented him from doing so,” he said, as reported by The Times of Israel. “I had to physically stand at the door and block him and the rest of the delegation from boarding, knowing that some were trying to force their way through and were looking for trouble.”

Days later, Joud Fahmy of Saudi Arabia forfeited a first-round judo match Sunday in what the Israeli press described as a tactic to avoid facing Israel’s Gili Cohen in the second round.

The Saudi team disputed the charge, insisting on Twitter that Ms. Fahmy had sustained injuries to her arms and legs during training, although episodes of Arab and Muslim athletes refusing to compete against Israelis are relatively common in international sports.

In June, Syrian boxer Ala Ghasoun refused to participate in an Olympic qualifying match against an Israeli, saying that to do so “would mean that I, as an athlete, and Syria, as a state, recognize the state of Israel.”

“I quit the competition because my rival was Israeli, and I cannot shake his hand or compete against him while he represents a Zionist regime that kills the Syrian people,” Mr. Ghasoun said in Arab media, according to Jerusalem’s i24 News.

During the 2012 London Olympics, Iranian judo champion Javad Mahjoud withdrew from a match against Israeli Arik Ze’evi. Mr. Mahjoud cited health concerns, but he previously admitted to throwing matches to avoid facing athletes from Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Israel’s national soccer team and its clubs have to compete in the World Cup and the continental tournaments in Europe rather than Asia, as geography would dictate, because so many Middle Eastern countries refuse to play them.

Israel’s critics say the Jewish state is not blameless in violating the Olympic spirit. Before the Rio Games, the Palestinian Olympic committee accused Israel of delaying deliveries of uniforms and equipment, which Israeli authorities denied.

Shortly before the Olympics, several media outlets, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported that Palestinian swimmer Mary al-Atrash was unable to train at a 50-meter Olympic-sized pool because of Israeli travel restrictions.

“There is no Olympic-sized swimming pool in the Palestinian territories that Palestinians are allowed to use, so Atrash practices at the YMCA in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem,” the CBC said in its Aug. 1 article. “The pool is 25 meters long, half the length of the facility she’ll compete in at Rio.”

The reports drew a heated response from the Tablet’s Liel Liebovitz, who dismissed the Palestinians-have-no-pool story as a hardy perennial in Olympic years, even though he said the territories have several 50-meter pools at which Ms. al-Atrash could train.

Mr. Liebovitz also pointed to a statement in July by an Israeli agency saying the swimmer would have been welcome to train in Jerusalem if she applied for a permit, which “like Palestinian athletes before her, she refused to do.”

Fans of the Israeli team were also indignant last week after Facebook failed to post the Israeli flag on its Olympics page. After a complaint by the Olympic Committee of Israel, the flag was added.

“We experienced a short-lived technical issue that prevented the Olympic profile frames for some countries from being displayed correctly in the profile picture selection menu,” Facebook said in a Wednesday statement. “We’ve since fixed this and now all countries should show up in that list.”

While the string of incidents has left supporters of Israel indignant, none comes close to the horror of the 1972 Munich Olympics, in which 11 Israeli athletes were kidnapped and killed by Palestinian terrorists.

“These days, anti-Israel vio*lence at the Olympics has been replaced by politics,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a Monday statement, “with representatives from countries hostile to Israel going to great lengths to avoid any interaction with Israeli athletes.”

While forfeiting a match is basically cutting off your nose to spite your face, what the Lebanese team did was rather scummy.

[primalmatter]

So they are trying to get money from it.... or is a reprimand something else?

Also have Jews decided if they are a race or a religion yet?

[Independent voter]

It happens every Olympics. There is even state level stuff like where you can't place Saudi athletes next to Israeli athletes for example.

[Melkorr]

Eyo, my country's mentioned it's my time to shine.

So I'm Lebanese and these things happen often and people talk about it for a while then just go like 'meh, who cares anyway'.
Some things to point out before starting this:
-Lebanon and Israel are technically still at war
-Lebanese simply don't like Israel or anyone who follows Zionism and supports the expansion of the state
-Lebanese don't like Israel because it has invaded us several times before and many of the athletes were present and aware during the 2006 war when Israel bombarded the whole country. (I remember it as well).

Why would you put Israelis and Lebanese in the same bus if you know this is going to happen, it's like that time Miss Israel just snapped a picture next to Miss Lebanon and Miss Leb was like gtfo my face please.

Lebanon takes these things seriously, you can't joke around when you talk about Israel because you'll simply be forgetting about all the horrible things that Israel has done to Lebanon throughout the past decades and if you didn't realize yet, we sort of don't forget.

Now I'm just stating facts, I've personally met lovely Izziz abroad who are open-minded and just overall chill people. I guess their racist radar goes way down once they know I'm Christian (I kiid, I kiid) but oh well my friends are Muslim here and usually think the way I do.
Before anyone pulls the Jew/Anti-Semite card.
1- I'm a Semite.
2- I have Lebanese Jewish friends (yes they exist )

[soulcrusher]

Always the victim. Still playing for sympathy whilst oppressing their neighbours and destabilising the entire region. No wonder they encounter hostility.

[Deleted]

That's incredible clever coming from the organization:you got over 160 countries and you choose to mix these ones.

I would suggest other wonderful pairings im sure wont create any incident:

1.Ucrania-Rusia.
2.South Korea - North Korea (it is competing?)
3.India -Pakistan
4.Jedi - Sith
5. Walter White - Gustavo Fring
....

[Majestic12]

Honestly, who cares? They don't have to be friends or polite to each other. Israel has done a lot of bad things esp. towards Lebanon. If I was Israeli I simply wouldn't care.

[tehealadin]

Not a smart move, but as we know that hatred for the Jews only came about after the founding of modern Israel.

[Melkorr]

That's incredible clever coming from the organization:you got over 160 countries and you choose to mix these ones.

I would suggest other wonderful pairings im sure wont create any incident:

1.Ucrania-Rusia.
2.South Korea - North Korea (it is competing?)
3.India -Pakistan
4.Jedi - Sith
5. Walter White - Gustavo Fring
....

Hhahaha exactly, they know this will make a 'look they don't like us' story. They always do that, at every event where both countries are present because they know Lebanese people can't and won't interact much so they use it as an opportunity.

[Deleted]

Keep taunting Israel, sooner or later the Muslim countries are going to lose another war against them.

[Deletedaccount1]

Lebanon takes these things seriously, you can't joke around when you talk about Israel because you'll simply be forgetting about all the horrible things that Israel has done to Lebanon throughout the past decades and if you didn't realize yet, we sort of don't forget.

Or you could expect people to have the mental capacity to distinguish an individual's actions from that of their government and treat them like you would anyone else unless they give you a reason not to.

[Majestic12]

Or you could expect people to have the mental capacity to distinguish an individual's actions from that of their government and treat them like you would anyone else unless they give you a reason not to.

Well, they represent Israel. People will be douchebags when they see such opportunities.

[Melkorr]

Or you could expect people to have the mental capacity to distinguish an individual's actions from that of their government and treat them like you would anyone else unless they give you a reason not to.

You just don't understand. You can't simply do that. I understand and I wish that was the case but sadly, it's not.

[ParanoiD84]

Not surprised one bit, probably jealous israel is doing so good and their neighbors is not.

[Deletedaccount1]

Well, they represent Israel. People will be douchebags when they see such opportunities.

Are you saying the Israelis will act like douche bags or that athletes from rival nations will use the excuse of representing Israel to be douche bags to Israeli athletes?

[Melkorr]

Keep taunting Israel, sooner or later the Muslim countries are going to lose another war against them.

Go flex your empty brain somewhere else. Most modern army in the world with the bountiful support of the biggest superpower in the world against militias. The only army that was a threat to Israel was the Syrian army which is now completely destroyed. Hezbollah is now on top of their list, and they're just always thirsty for war.

Remember that Lebanon has always been on the defense against Israel, they're the ones who invade and threaten and violate our skies and maritime borders countless times a day.

[Deletedaccount1]

You just don't understand. You can't simply do that. I understand and I wish that was the case but sadly, it's not.

I understand it completely, it is just irrational behavior. Any reasonably cosmopolitan person wouldn't treat someone rudely just because they are from a certain country. Anyone with half a brain can make the clear distinction between the actions of a country and that of its citizens.

[Mavett]

They are clearly mad because we have overcome them in the Hummus Olympics, sore losers.

- - - Updated - - -

Go flex your empty brain somewhere else. Most modern army in the world with the bountiful support of the biggest superpower in the world against militias. The only army that was a threat to Israel was the Syrian army which is now completely destroyed. Hezbollah is now on top of their list, and they're just always thirsty for war.

Remember that Lebanon has always been on the defense against Israel, they're the ones who invade and threaten and violate our skies and maritime borders countless times a day.

Poor little you, first invasion was due to ongoing PLO attacks from YOUR TERRITORY.
Second invasion was due to Hezbollah raid that attacked a patrol and kidnapped Israeli troops on the Israeli side, attack that was staged from YOUR TERRITORY.

And we will continue violating your skies and maritime borders as we see fit, just as Hezbollah sees itself fit in building up its forces and presence again in Southern Lebanon despite resolution 1701.

So please, cut the crocodile tears.

[Melkorr]

I understand it completely, it is just irrational behavior. Any reasonably cosmopolitan person wouldn't treat someone rudely just because they are from a certain country. Anyone with half a brain can make the clear distinction between the actions of a country and that of its citizens.

Okay, again, you don't understand because it doesn't matter what the players do. It matters what the state does.
Israel always provokes and makes the most of these things to make other countries look bad.
Lebanon on the other hand simply won't tolerate it, the athletes at the end of the day just don't care about the Israelis and the Israelis shouldn't care about the Lebanese athletes.
If they spent the Olympics high fiving each other it won't change a thing.

- - - Updated - - -

They are clearly mad because we have overcome them in the Hummus Olympics, sore losers.

- - - Updated - - -



Poor little you, first invasion was due to ongoing PLO attacks from YOUR TERRITORY.
Second invasion was due to Hezbollah raid that attacked a patrol and kidnapped Israeli troops on the Israeli side, attack that was staged from YOUR TERRITORY.

And we will continue violating your skies and maritime borders as we see fit, just as Hezbollah sees itself fit in building up its forces and presence again in Southern Lebanon despite resolution 1701.

So please, cut the crocodile tears.

Okay first of all, Hummus Olympics wasn't funny.
Second, PLO is your doing. Without your ideology and your stupid religious pretexts, the PLO wouldn't be in Lebanon to begin with so that's on you baby boy.
Third, it's a fact that your idiot soldiers were in their Humvee in Lebanese territory. Next time, don't step into our territory.

You're all proud huh? We will keep violating international law as we see fit. Very Israeli thing to say.
I've really met lovely people from your country while travelling, clearly you're not one of them, if you approach people this way.
Thank god for the internet and anonymity right?

[Mavett]

Okay, again, you don't understand because it doesn't matter what the players do. It matters what the state does.
Israel always provokes and makes the most of these things to make other countries look bad.
Lebanon on the other hand simply won't tolerate it, the athletes at the end of the day just don't care about the Israelis and the Israelis shouldn't care about the Lebanese athletes.
If they spent the Olympics high fiving each other it won't change a thing.

- - - Updated - - -



Okay first of all, Hummus Olympics wasn't funny.
Second, PLO is your doing. Without your ideology and your stupid religious pretexts, the PLO wouldn't be in Lebanon to begin with so that's on you baby boy.
Third, it's a fact that your idiot soldiers were in their Humvee in Lebanese territory. Next time, don't step into our territory.

You're all proud huh? We will keep violating international law as we see fit. Very Israeli thing to say.
I've really met lovely people from your country while travelling, clearly you're not one of them, if you approach people this way.
Thank god for the internet and anonymity right?

You hosted the PLO and allowed them to do their thing, what came before is fucking irrelevant, you made the poor choice and paid the price, deal with it.
The patrol was on the Israeli side of the border and not in your territory, so be kind and DO NOT LIE.

Your boys violating and not playing by the rules set in 2006? we will do so as well, deal with it.