Anti-Israel Hate, Iranian Influence Take Center Stage at Olympic Games

The 2024 Olympic Games have come at a time of enormous global tensions. Conflicts between countries are raging, Paris is on edge, and security concerns are grave. Despite this, geopolitical tensions and conflicts should not lead to athletes being targeted for their national identity.

Unfortunately, no country’s athletes are at a greater risk than Israel’s. Since the start of Olympics season, Israeli athletes have had their lives threatened anonymously, been specifically targeted by the Iranian government, and have been under heavy armed security as anti-Israel zealots and the Iranian regime remain hellbent on disrupting Israeli participation in the games.

Israel’s critics keep repeating that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, yet Israeli athletes are uniquely vilified and threatened for their identities. Certainly, the global community does not approve of the governments of China or Iran, and yet their athletes are never in the crosshairs of abuse, terror plots, and harassment.

This year, Israel has sent 88 athletes to Paris to participate in the Olympic Games, under heavy security and guarded by Israeli and French officers. In the opening ceremony, the alphabetical order of the countries had to be slightly adjusted to separate Israeli athletes from the Iranian delegation.

On Friday, Israeli athletes had to be escorted by armed French security to the Olympic Village, as anti-Israel protests erupted across France’s capital, some of them becoming violent, with calls for the blood of Israel’s athletes. 

When Israel faced off with Mali on Wednesday, in their first soccer match of the Olympics, the Israeli anthem was drowned out by jeers and abuse, and Israeli players were faced with constant insults hurled from fans in the bleachers.

Earlier this week, Israel’s foreign minister warned France of an Iranian-backed plot to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli athletes in Paris. And on Sunday, Israeli athletes had their personal information hacked and leaked publicly by cyber criminals, who are believed to be affiliated with Iran. Two men have already been arrested in Paris for plotting terror attacks during the games, likely targeting Israeli athletes. Israel’s athletes have remained under 24 hour security by French and Israeli forces since arriving in France. 

The specific targeting of Israeli athletes is an example of textbook xenophobia. Because of the Israeli government’s military campaign in Gaza, Israeli athletes, who simply want to participate in the Olympics and compete for gold medals, are targeted and threatened violently because of their national identity. One would think that people learned their lesson from the horrifying 1972 Munich tragedy, but it seems that for some, that wasn’t enough. And for the Iranian regime, all attacks, protests, and threats against Israeli athletes serve the government’s agenda of denormalizing and destabilizing Israel’s standing on the world stage, and attempting to alienate Israel, turning it into a pariah state.

Earlier this month, Adidas announced that it was bringing back its 1972 Munich Olympic shoes, and that they would be modeled by Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid, one of the Internet’s leading anti-Israel propagandists, who constantly maligns and libels the Jewish State to her millions of followers on social media. Adidas has since walked back its Hadid sneaker campaign, and issued vague apologies for insensitivity and to Hadid herself.

As a Western society that is quick to condemn any form of discrimination based on identity, it is imperative that we condemn this discrimination against Jews and Israelis emphatically.

It is acceptable to criticize Israeli’s government, but completely unacceptable to target, harass, and threaten Israeli athletes because of the Israeli government’s perceived wrongdoings. Iran and its terrorist allies want nothing more than to destabilize, intimidate, and alienate Israel and its citizens on the world stage. We are constantly told not to accuse “anti-Zionists” of being antisemitic, and yet, we see these same “anti-Zionists,” targeting Israeli athletes alone, regardless of their individual views — and for no other reason than their national identity. In keeping with the 2024 Olympics motto of “Games Wide Open,” it is crucial that the athletes from each country be treated with fairness, respect, and equality, and that the spirit of the Olympic Games is preserved.

Nathaniel Miller is a Tulane University student, where he is the president of the Tulane Israel Public Affairs Committee, and is a CAMERA fellow.