The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US largest Muslim organization, on Wednesday called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Israeli athletes from participation and recognition in the 2024 Olympics, to open on July 26, as the IOC punished Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
In a decision last year, the IOC permitted Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Olympic Games as neutral participants, without their national flags or anthems. last Tuesday, the IOC released a set of guidelines for these neutral athletes: a key announcement was that Russian and Belarusian competitors will be excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony. This event will feature boats representing each national team sailing along the Seine River instead of the usual stadium parade. The IOC clarified that neutral athletes will not be part of this procession, stating, “they are individual athletes” rather than representing a national team.
CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Mitchell said: “Just as the International Olympic Committee banned the Russian government from official representation or participation due to the invasion of Ukraine, it’s time for the IOC to ban the Israeli government for its ongoing genocide in Gaza. Palestinian lives must matter just as much as Ukrainian lives. If the IOC ignores the Israeli government’s blatant targeting of civilians and systematic destruction of Gaza, it will send a message that war crimes only matter when the victims are white Europeans. The IOC must take a morally consistent and principled stand for justice and human dignity by banning the Israeli government from any official participation in the Olympics.”
CAIR launched a letter-writing campaign to IOC President Thomas Bach, saying: “Since last year, more than 38,000 Palestinians, including at least 15,000 children, have been mercilessly killed in the Israeli government’s indiscriminate attacks on Gaza. These are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic campaign of violence and extermination. Just as the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to the firm action by the IOC, the ongoing atrocities committed by Israel demand accountability and consequences.”
“Allowing the Israeli government to officially participate in the Olympics undermines the very principles upon which the Games are founded. It conveys a message that the international community is willing to overlook genocide and war crimes when the victims are not Europeans. This is unacceptable,” the letter campaign continues.
The letters conclude with a mad show of cynicism: “The Olympic Games should be a beacon of hope, unity, and respect for all human beings, whether Palestinians or Ukrainians or anyone else.”
