Alwaght- On December 2023 and three months after Israeli war on Gaza, three judokas who were members of Israeli team in Paris Olympics 2024 visited the Brigade 402 of the Israeli army artillery. They met soldiers involved in Gaza war and posted their photos on social media, saying they are proud of the performance of Israeli forces, the same forces who have so far killed about 40,000 Palestinians since October 8, mostly children and women— something not less than a full-scale genocide. In some other cases, Israeli athletes are themselves active military soldiers in Gaza, while others serve as propaganda representatives for the Israeli military.
This report sheds light on the history of activity or military support that Israeli athletes present in the Paris Olympics have provided to Gaza war.
88 military personnel in Israeli Olympics team
The Sports Politika news website, which monitors the margins of sports events at the global level, has reported in statistics that at least 88 current and former soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are present in the sports convoy of this regime in the Paris Olympics. The reports suggests that even many Israeli Olympians are affiliated with the Israeli army or have supported the ongoing war and soldiers in the aggression against Gaza.
The Israeli judo team coach Oren Smadja, for example, openly supported the destruction of Gaza by Israel, along with some of the most prominent Israeli Olympians. Smadja regularly posts about the war on social media and brags about and praises the Israeli army.
Peter Paltchik, the former judo champion in European competitions and winner of Olympics bronze medalist in U100kg category at Paris Olympics, has already signed his name on the shells and rockets fired at Gaza civilians. He posted a photo of the rockets on his social media account, reading: "From met to you with pleasure."
Athletes support genocide
When we see the support of Israeli athelets to the IDF attacks in Gaza, we actually see their support for genocide in Gaza. The daily attacks of the occupation forces have devastated large parts of Gaza, displaced millions of Palestinians and left them facing famine and a crippling siege denying them food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies. All of this has been discussed and confirmed as evidence of genocide by the lawyers of South Africa's lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ ordered Israel to stop its operations to prevent genocide in Gaza, but Israel turned a dead ear. In this situation, the support of Israeli athletes to the military of this regime is considers a support to genocide.
Military athletes
In Israel, men above 18 must serve 32 months and women 24 months in the military. Many Israeli athletes have enlisted in the army not mandatorily, but by their own choice. Also, some others act voluntarily and by their own choice as a propaganda machine for the war operations in Gaza and support the military operations against Gaza. These examples can be seen in the following cases:
Linoy Ashram: Gymnast / won the gold medal in the 2020 European individual rhythmic gymnastics / participated in the same discipline in the Paris Olympics / cooperated with the Israeli army from the age of 18 until the end of 2019 / IDF sent him congratulatory message when he won the gold medal
Sagi Muki: judoka, medalist, and current trooper in the IDF
Yuval Nagar: A member of the Israeli women's soccer team / a member of the army and an athlete at the same time / mocking civilian victims of Gaza war on social networks and publishing pictures of herself in army uniforms
Libi Zilicovitz: Members of the women's football team / former military and current supporter and propagandist of the Israeli army / publication of posts and content in support of the Gaza war with the claim of preventing the destruction of the Jewish people
Shani David: A member of women national football team/ current IDF trooper
Shon Weissman: A member of Israeli football team/ former military personnel/ He is a current supporter of IDF operations by publishing anti-Gaza posts like "All Gaza supports terrorism" and "destroy Gaza."
