Israeli athletes competing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are facing unprecedented expressions of hate.
The family of Israeli rhythmic gymnast Shani Bakanov, currently competing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, has received death threats against their daughter.
Bakanov’s mother told Ynet late Monday that the message the family received read as follows:
“You are not invited to the Olympic Games unless you are prepared to deal with something that is 10 times worse than September 1972. Then 11 Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich Olympics. Pay attention to your surroundings, in airports, hotels and on the streets that belong to no one. Nothing will save you.”
Armed Shin Bet agents accompanied the Israeli delegation to Paris due to threats against the team. Planning for the team’s security began more than a year ago, according to Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar.
“Our goal is to ensure athletes feel both free and secure,” Zohar said in a statement just over a week ago. “We aim to provide protection without it being overly noticeable, allowing athletes to focus on their performance with confidence.”
The Israeli athletes are escorted to and from each of their events by tactical units, and have 24-hour protection throughout the competition.
French police are investigating death threats received by three Israeli athletes competing in Paris, Sky News reported.
Neo-Nazi antisemites also created a scene at the Games on Saturday during a soccer match between Israel and Paraguay.
The Israeli athletes were booed when they stood for the Hatikvah national anthem on the field. Protesters held up Palestinian Authority flags and a huge white banner with black letters saying “Genocide Olympics”. Some of the protesters chanted “Heil Hitler” and raised their arms in a Nazi salute. The anti-Israel demonstrators were eventually kicked out of the stadium.
French prosecutors said they were probing possible antisemitic hate crimes during the match.
“During the men’s football match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes on 27 July, a banner bearing a political message was displayed, and anti-Semitic gestures were made,” a Paris Olympic organizer told Sky News. “Paris 2024 strongly condemns these acts. A complaint has been lodged by Paris 2024, which is at the disposal of the authorities to assist with the investigation.”
The Israeli soccer team faced the same hatred last Wednesday during their match with Mali.
On Sunday, Tajikistani judoka Nurali Emomali refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent, Baruch Shmailov as is customary following the match, which Emomali won.
Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouani Dris disqualified himself by showing up at Sunday’s weigh-in 400 grams overweight, avoiding facing his Israeli opponent, Tohar Butbul, in their match scheduled for Monday.
Israel’s National Cyber Directorate announced the agency’s discovery that Iranian hackers published the personal information of the Israeli delegation in Paris, and sent the athletes threatening messages, Ynet reported.
“As I warned my French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné this week, based on information held by Israel, Iranians are planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli delegation and all Olympic participants,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote in a post on X. “Increased preventive measures must be taken to thwart their plot. The free world must stop Iran now – before it’s too late.”
France has deployed 35,000 police officers during each day of the Games; 45,000 officers were deployed for the opening ceremonies. Nearly 2,000 security reinforcements were sent by 40 countries to assist with protecting the Games.
