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Israeli and Palestinian Olympians have gathered in Tokyo to compete
- Zach
- Nov 3, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 9, 2022
From the opening ceremony to the competition floor, the Olympics provide a form of soft diplomacy where athletes and event organizers take political stands
By Jake Austin, 27 July 2021
In many ways, the Olympic Village has more in common with an international diplomatic summit than the facilities for an athletic competition. Athletes from around the world come to represent their countries and carry current issues and pressures both domestic and foreign. During the Cold War, every US-Soviet clash was seen as ideological, and boycotts and athletes seeking asylum were expressly political. When both Israeli and Palestinian athletes compete in these coming weeks, clashes in politics will be inevitable and have already happened in certain respects.
During the opening ceremony of the games, the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre were remembered with a minute of silence for the first time in more than twenty years. The eleven Israeli athletes were killed by a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September after being taken hostage within the Olympic village. The International Olympic Committee had controversially denied the request for commemoration of the tragedy during the opening of the 2012 games in London, the 40th anniversary of the killings. Widows of the deceased were in attendance to join the mourning in Tokyo, and were pleased to hear their pleas answered.
Another issue has arisen during the judo competition involving an Algerian athlete named Fethi Nourine. Ninth-ranked in the world for judo, Nourine refused a match against Israeli athlete Tohal Butbul, forfeiting his role in the tournament. Nourine had refused a match against Butbul two years ago at another competition, citing his support for the Palestinian cause and refusal to recognize the state of Israel. The International Judo Federation has temporarily suspended Nourine and his coach, but the IOC and each nation’s governments have declined to officially respond.
The Palestinian Authority have competed in the Olympics since 1996, and have sent five athletes this year. Mohammed Hamada is competing for the nation’s first appearance in weightlifting, and has trained in Deha, Qatar recently in preparation. He hopes to bring attention to the lack of resources for athletes and athletic programs in Palestine, as well as the strict immigration laws upon Gaza which forced him to preemptively move to Qatar before the Olympics. The other Palestinian athletes include two swimmers, a judo practitioner, and a sprinter, and comprise of male and female athletes.
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