Israel should be banned from Paris Olympics, say campaigners

A global campaign has been launched to have Israel banned from participating in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games because of its genocidal war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Pro-Palestine activists have launched the hashtag #BanIsraelFromParisOlympics on social media to put pressure on the organisers to prevent the participation of Israeli athletes in the Games scheduled to start on 26 July.

“Celebrating the human values of the Olympics contradicts Israel’s oppressive and genocidal practices against the Palestinians,” said the campaigners. “How do we celebrate human values while human rights are being brutally violated?” The Olympics without Israel is the demand of everyone who believes in justice and humanity, they added.

European countries, including France and Switzerland, have witnessed demonstrations in front of the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), demanding that the Israeli Federation delegation should be banned from the Paris Olympics.

“Preventing Russia and Belarus from the Olympics previously, and allowing Israel to participate this year is a clear use of double standards,” said campaigners.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, meanwhile, has said that his country will provide 24-hour protection for Israeli athletes during the Olympic Games, which will begin in Paris on Friday. He made his comment after leftist MP Thomas Portes said that the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris.

In January, French MP Aymeric Caron called on the International Olympic Committee to prevent Israel — as it did with Russia — from participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics because of the genocidal war it is waging in the Gaza Strip. In May, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) submitted a similar request to the IOC and football’s governing body, FIFA, which said that it is postponing until 31 August formal discussion of the PFA’s request to suspend the Israeli Football Federation internationally.

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