Israel’s Yarden Gerbi reacts after winning the bronze medal of the women’s 63 kg judo competition at the Rio 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. (Rex Features via Associated Press)
– The Washington Times
The 2016 Olympic Games have been billed as an opportunity to put politics aside in the spirit of international camaraderie, but that’s not necessarily how it’s working out for the Israeli team.
Animosity toward the 47-member delegation has triggered a reprimand from the International Olympic Committee and alarm from Jewish groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, which issued a statement this week decrying anti-Israel “hostility” in Rio de Janeiro.
“Shocking but not surprisingly, the Lebanese and Saudi delegations obviously have the wrong idea about the Olympic Games,” said a statement Wednesday by Roz Rothstein, CEO of the pro-Israel group Stand With Us.
“Instead of using the events to forget animosity and promote peace between people, they have brought their brainwashed minds to Rio,” she said. “How unfortunate that they could not implement the good, peaceful intentions of the Olympics, and instead have used it as a forum to spread hate and continued rejection of peace.”
The confrontations with delegations of nations traditionally hostile to Israel have marred an otherwise successful Olympics for Israel. Two days ago, judo fighter Yarden Gerbi won the bronze medal, making her the nation’s first medal winner since the 2008 Olympics.
On Sunday, however, the IOC issued a reprimand to the head of the Lebanese Olympic delegation after he blocked the Israeli team from entering a bus that the teams were supposed to share to reach the opening ceremony… Read more at: Israeli athletes at Rio Olympics endure ‘shocking’ hostility, taunting by Muslim nations – Washington Times
- Follow JMA on and
- Get FREE daily news alerts
