Israeli Olympic Athletes Receive ‘Psychological Terror’ Threats While Competing in Paris, Says Delegation Head

“I don’t think any politics should be involved in sport, especially in the Olympic Games,” said Reuveny, 24. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of politics involved — not in the Games — of the people who don’t want us to compete and don’t want us to be here. I’ve gotten quite a few messages and threats.”

The Israeli Olympic delegation has had round-the-clock security in place since their arrival in Paris, provided by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency and local French police. The delegation’s security was increased following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon..

Prosecutors in Paris began an investigation last week into emailed death threats sent to Israeli athletes competing in the Olympics. They also launched an inquiry into possible antisemitic hate crimes and the incitement of racial hatred during an Israel-Paraguay soccer match that took place in late July as part of the Olympics. During the soccer match, fans in the stands chanted and held signs about the war in Gaza, held a banner that read “Genocide Olympics,” and “made gestures of an antisemitic nature,” prosecutors said.

France’s cybercrime unit additionally took action to remove personal information of some of the Israeli athletes that hackers published on social media. Israel’s National Cyber Directorate concluded that Iranian hackers were behind the leak.

The Palestinian Olympic Committee attempted to get Israel banned from competing in the Olympics by claiming that the Jewish state has violated the Olympic charter with its military actions in Gaza during the country’s war targeting Hamas terrorists who carried out the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.