“Wars break out because nations misunderstand each other,” said French historian Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Competition, however, “would foster greater understanding and reconciliation between adversarial countries.”
Unfortunately, apolitical arenas are perhaps a myth in our heavily politicized world. As the July 26th Paris Games seek to take place amidst fierce conflict between Israel and Hamas, both lingering reverence and inevitable animosity are expected amongst the millions of participants from around the globe.
“It is a historic moment to tell the world it is time to say stop,” exclaimed Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Olympics Committee, “occupation and killing will only encourage hatred, enmity, and more suffering,” he sighed.
The Palestinian team
The eight athletes representing Palestine feel eager to compete, but each must carry heavy burdens from the politics of their homeland, a place of pity and hope.
Although the athlete’s chance for a medal is slim, Palestinian Olympics feel a role greater than their own. “People don’t want Palestinians to exist. They don’t want us to play sports. They look at the flag and they don’t want it. So whether a medal or not, we already win,” says swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab.
Despite a coalition of countries – Kuwait, Qatar, Libya, and Egypt – providing facilities for Palestinian athletes to practice, Al Bawwab feels strongly about resisting the decimation of his country and the worsening of training conditions. “Do you know how many approved pools there are in Palestine? Zero,” he said, “there is no sports in Palestine. We are a country right now that does not have enough food or shelter, and we are trying to figure out how to stay alive. We are not a sports country yet,” he added.
Other athletes like weightlifter Mohammad Hamada were less fortunate than Al Bawwab. Hamada, who upheld the Palestinian flag in Tokyo 2020, had lost over 40 pounds due to food shortages in Gaza. Many more experience similar difficulties, making it next to impossible to return to Olympic-level conditions.
Indeed, Palestine’s crippling economy is too fragile to support the development of Olympic athletes. Since the war’s initiation, 300 athletes and other sporting officials have been killed along with the demolition of all sports facilities in Gaza. While civilians continue to suffer under neglected ceasefires, the athletes illustrate a beacon of hope for Palestinians back home.
“My heart is with them. Every time I swim, every time I jump in the pool, I’m thinking about the people of Palestine and their struggles. And I just want to represent them in the best way possible,” said swimmer Valerie Tarazi, the only female athlete who would compete under Palestine.
Tarazi’s athlete counterparts feel the same about the importance of representation. 18-year-old taekwondo competitor Omar Ismail hopes to “represent the identity of the people in Palestine [and] inspire the children of Palestine, show them that each of them can achieve their goals, give them hope.”
“Sport has given us more we could ever ask for. Its given us an identity, it’s given us something greater than ourselves,” corroborates Tarazi.
Is Israel welcomed?
After much back-and-forth quarrel between France’s Unbowed MP and the French Representative Council of Jewish Institutions on Israel’s participation, an official statement by French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne to “welcome Israeli athletes” had gradually melted down turmoil. Still, some see the decision as a double standard following the strict ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from Paris but not from Israel. Regardless, Israeli Olympians will face tangible security dangers; death threats, hate messages, and spam emails are just some of the many forms of resentment the team has faced.
Among the 15 athletes who have received such messages, some reported anonymous messages claiming to eliminate “any Israeli presence at the Olympics” as well as threatening to mimic the tragedies of Munich 1972 – terrorist attack on Israeli Olympic team members out of blatant anti-Semitism — to “prepare for the intifada!” or a “violent Palestine uprising.”
“It was clear to us that such a troll would come. We prepared for it…” says Yael Arad, chairwoman of the Israeli Olympic Committee.
In response, France promised to give “24-hour protection” to the Israeli Olympic team while Israel will send its security agency, Shin Bet, to the games. Anti-sematic concerns were also prominent amongst the US State Department, which coordinated “Olympic security for Team USA” accordingly.
Contrary to Coubertin’s vision, such early hostility reminds us of the inherently political nature of the games; Hitler’s use of Berlin 1936 to amplify Nazi propaganda and American athletes’ 1968 Black Power Salute serve as prime examples.
Honoring bravery in war
As part of the torch relay of 10,000 people, Lebanese photojournalist Christina Assi, who was struck by a tank shell during an Israeli strike, carried the Olympic torch to “honor journalists wounded and killed in the field.” Assi, being among six other journalists severely wounded during the strike, reminds crowds of people’s “right to be protected and work without fearing that they could die at any moment. ”
As the world excitedly yet nervously anticipates the opening ceremony of the 26th, the challenging experiences of athletes, sports officials, and journalists remind us of the potential sport has to unify people in harmony.
Written by Julia Jiang
