Why Team Palestine at the Paris Olympics 2024, or any Palestinian around the world, would be reluctant to shake hands with Team Israel or any Israelis elsewhere, and vice versa, is not a question. It's an answer to the ongoing conflict in Gaza since October 7, 2023 — A war that has resulted in almost 40,000 deaths so far, including 400 Palestinian athletes, many of which were champions and even Olympians as reported by their Olympic Committee. (Full Olympics Coverage | More Sports News)
Nevertheless, the call for global recognition of Palestine as a state has been voiced once again. In an interview with The Guardian, Jibril Rajoub, the chief of the Palestine National Olympic Committee, stated that he would not shake hands with his Israeli counterparts at the Paris 2024 Games, if ever their paths collide.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has granted Palestine full state recognition and allowed its athletes to represent their nation on the global stage since 1995. However, the host country France, many European nations, and Great Britain refuse to do so.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel, which the pro-Palestinian activists label as genocide, has sparked numerous protests across France amid the Olympics extravaganza. In the Paris Metro, walls are crying loud with graffiti reading "Genocide is not an Olympic Sport" and bold letters demanding a "Ban Israel."
Several reports indicated that Israeli athletes have been receiving threatening emails, with some suggesting a Munich 1972-like scenario. However, despite these threats, the situation has remained relatively peaceful so far, with no violence or major disruptions, though there have been some instances of sportsmanship disruptions.
How the Israel-Palestine War Echoes Through Paris 2024
What impact the years-long Israel-Palestine conflict has had on the Paris Olympic Games 2024 is now a pressing question, and the answer is quite shocking. While the news of casualties in the Gaza Strip has become a grim norm, the refusal of athletes at the 2024 Games to compete against Israeli counterparts—along with a no-handshake policy—is an unprecedented development, that might attract millions.
On July 28, Sunday judoka Abderrahmane Boushita of Morocco and Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan refused to shake hands with Israelis athlete Baruch Shmailov in the under-66kg event at Paris 2024. Reason - The War. Despite neither of the athletes being Palestinian themselves, they have been showing their support everywhere they can.
Palestine Solidarity Over Olympics Dream!
Tohar Butbul, an Israeli judoka, did not get to fight during his Men's 73 kg round of 32 in Paris because his opponent, Algerian Messaoud Redouane Dris, did not show up. Dris's withdrawal was seen as a gesture of solidarity with the 400 Palestinian athletes who are no longer alive.
Although the Algerian was officially disqualified for being 400 grams over the weight limit, Butbul likely perceived the no-show as a politically motivated protest. And why not? this incident is not the first time Butbul has encountered such denial due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Back in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine withdrew from the Games to avoid a potential match against Israeli competitor Tohar Butbul in protest of 'Israel's occupation of Palestine land'. This action was deemed unprofessional and contrary to sportsmanship and thus both Nourine and his coach faced a 10-year by the International Judo Federation (IJF).
Similarly, Sudanese athlete Mohamed Abdalrasool also chose not to compete against Butbul in Tokyo, despite having completed his weigh-in. His withdrawal was motivated by his support for Palestine, prioritizing political solidarity over his Olympic participation.
After the match that did not take place, which led to Tohar Butbul advancing to the round of 16, he said to the reporters, "I think the Algerian athletes and all the Muslim athletes cannot go to the fight with Israeli athletes."
"I think they are the victims in this thing. They won't let them compete, even though they are athletes. I really wanted to do the fight with him, and it has not happened. Maybe next Olympics we will meet again and we can do it," Butbul added.
That is one, here's another incident coming from the Olympic Games 2024. When the Israel national football team stepped on the field for their opening match against Mali at the Parc des Princes, the country’s national anthem met with some loud jeer. So loud that the volume of the official speakers had to be increased.
During the Paris Olympics Opening flag parade, one of the Palestine flagbearer Wasim Abusal wore a t-shirt featuring graphics of two children playing beneath the warplanes dropping bombs, accompanied by the Olympic rings, olive branches and the Arabic word for 'freedom' . They stated that their intention behind this was obvious, to spread the 'message of peace'.
Palestinian Athletes At The Paris Olympics 2024
Eight Palestinian athletes are participating at the Paris Olympics given that 400 of them including the karate champion Nagham Abu Samra has been dead, they are -
1. Mohammed Dewadar - Track and Field
2. Layla Al Masri - Track and Field
3. Wasim Abusal - Boxing
4. Fares Badawi - Judo
5. Jorge Antonio Salhe - Shooting
6. Yazan Al Bawwab - Swimming
7. Valeri Tarazi - Swimming
8. Omar Yaser Ismael - Taekwondo
None of them have been advanced for the medal rounds, some have been disqualified, while others are still waiting for their events.
There are a total of 88 athletes from Israel participating in 16 events at the Games. However, so far they have claimed only two medals, both in Judo, a silver by Inbar Lanir and a bronze by Peter Paltchik.
