(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Palestine awaits response on call to ban Israel from Paris Olympics [1]
['Kyodo News']
Date: 2024-07-06
KYODO NEWS - 11 hours ago - 22:02 | Sports, Olympics, All
The Palestine Olympic Committee is "still waiting" for a response to its application for the exclusion of Israeli athletes from the Paris Games in light of the ongoing destruction of Gaza, POC executive Nader Jayousi said Sunday.
In their last-ditch filing to the International Olympic Committee, POC officials presented evidence of Israeli athletes publicly backing the military campaign that has devastated the Palestinian territory since it was launched following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack led by Hamas.
"We have requested a ban of Israel at the Olympics because we believe that such ethics don't reflect the spirit of the Olympics," Jayousi told Kyodo News.
"It should be the concern of the IOC, allowing (Israeli athletes) who are proud of slaughtering people and killing people."
Jayousi cited the example of judoka Peter Paltchik, who he said signed a missile while visiting Israeli soldiers by the border with Gaza and documented it on social media.
"He posted on his social media, and he said, 'From me to you with pleasure,'" Jayousi said. "So he said to Gaza kids, 'with pleasure.' Do you want to have such a person in the Olympics? That's a decision for the IOC."
Some 400 Palestinian athletes and coaches have been killed in Gaza, while the territory's entire sporting infrastructure has been systematically destroyed by the Israeli military, Jayousi said.
Long-distance runner Majed Abu Maraheel, the flag bearer when Palestine made its Olympic debut in 1996, died last month after being unable to receive treatment for kidney failure amid power cuts and a lack of medical supplies.
Renowned British medical journal The Lancet earlier this month published a study estimating that the death toll in Gaza since the start of the Israeli bombardment could be more than 186,000.
Eight Palestinian athletes will compete at the Olympics, which open on Friday, in sports including boxing, swimming, and judo.
Jayousi said their presence in Paris would send an important message to people worldwide, especially Palestinian children.
"We don't need anyone's pity. We want people to see the strength and the dignity and the pride of the Palestinians, make them be in solidarity with the Palestinian cause because they believe it's a cause of justice," he said.
"We are looking forward to showing our kids that hope is still there. You can still look forward to representing Palestine in this greatest event in the world."
Related coverage:
Olympics: Organizers promise clean Seine River as lasting legacy
Olympics: 8.8 million tickets sold, 2,000 athletes already in Paris
North Korean team arrives in Paris for 1st Summer Olympics since 2016
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/07/06a926fdf9e2-palestine-awaits-response-on-call-to-ban-israel-from-paris-olympics.html
Published and (C) by Common Dreams
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0..
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/commondreams/
