Israel’s male flagbearer at Friday’s opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is reportedly believed to have signed bombs prior to them being used in the military onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
Peter Paltchik, 32, said in a social media post “From me to you with pleasure” along with a photo of signed Israeli bombs, the Anadolu news agency reported.
Born in Ukraine, Paltchik was the European judo champion at Prague 2020, and an Olympic bronze medallist at the Tokyo Games, held in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The same year, he was ranked as world number 1 in men’s judo.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ignored calls for Israel to be barred from participating in the Games which begin on Friday, amidst its ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza.
‘Not Welcome’
On Saturday, a left-wing member of the French parliament said the Israeli delegation was not welcome at the Paris Games.
Thomas, Portes, from the France Unbowed (LFI) party, told a rally in support of Palestine “I’m here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games.”
He later told the daily Le Parisien: “French diplomacy must put pressure on the International Olympic Committee so that the Israeli flag and anthem are not admitted in the Olympic Games, just as this was done for Russia.”
Portes added: “We must put an end to this double standard.”
A few other parliamentarians supported Portes, with lawmaker Aurelien Le Coq questioning the IOC’s stance.
“A genocide is still ongoing in Gaza. Nearly 40,000 people are dead,” Le Coq said on X. “The few to denounce it and demand sanctions are the target of the far right. Support @Portes_Thomas.”
He added: “Russian athletes parade under (a) neutral banner. Why not the Israelis?”
Protests At OIC
Last month, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to demand that Israel be barred from the Games.
Protesters pointed out that the committee “only took a few days” to exclude Russia and Belarus from the 2022 Olympics over the war in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.
According to the committee, athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete in this year’s Olympics as neutrals. However, they will not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony and will not use flags, emblems or anthems.
Palestinian athletes will compete in boxing, judo, swimming, shooting, track and field and taekwondo at the Games.
Sportsmen Killed in Gaza
According to the Palestine Olympic Committee, over 300 athletes, referees and sports officials have been killed since the start of the war on October 7.
Additionally, all sports facilities and infrastructure in Gaza were demolished by Israeli occupation forces.
On June 11, long-distance runner Majed Abu Marahel, the first Palestinian to compete at the Olympics in 1996, died in Gaza due to Israel’s inhumane blockade on medication and the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.
Abu Marahel died at the age of 61 at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza from kidney failure.
His condition was exacerbated by power outages and medical shortages caused by the ongoing Israeli siege.
Abu Marahel made history as the first Palestinian athlete to be the flag bearer and represent Palestine at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996.
“I’m here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games. … French diplomacy must put pressure on the International Olympic Committee so that the Israeli flag and anthem are not admitted in the Olympic Games…”
— French lawmaker, Thomas Porter
They didn’t listen to him.
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OMG! Watching opening ceremony of Olympics. Royally Bizarre. It’s like an Illuminati rainbow/trans ritual – everybody kissing, threesomes inferred, and all seductively dancing. And the expense… Literally could have ended world hunger and homelessness. Fked up priorities. All this just to see who can jump the highest or run the fastest.
But something very good happened. While the torch was sailing in, there were voices in the crowd and I heard one most desperate one scream: “FREE GAZA!!” NBC couldn’t block it and the message got out with THE TRUTH as its carrier. I am expecting more such outbursts as the spectacle proceeds for the next couple of weeks.
All of it has the bleeding back-drop of the GAZA GENOCIDE. Can’t escape it. May all the war-mongers fall in The Seine and drown!!
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Hmm…
What we know so far about the attack on France’s rail network ahead of Olympics opening:
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-07-26/what-we-know-so-far-about-the-attack-on-french-train-network-ahead-of-olympics-opening
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