A French hard-left MP sparked a political row Sunday by saying Israeli athletes were not welcome at the Paris Olympics because of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which one senior minister said had "hints of anti-Semitism".In a post on X, Arfi branded Portes's comments "irresponsible" and accused him of "legitimising Hamas", the Palestinian militant group whose October 7 attacks on Israel sparked the Gaza war.
Not in the slightest. I’m aware that a country isn’t a monolith. Unfortunately, the country as a whole celebrates its victories in sporting events. These athletes shouldn’t be punished, true. But the politicians who are committing genocide should. Their ability to celebrate their nation and to receive international acclaim is unfortunately tied up in their athlete’s careers.
Allowing Israel to participate is validating a genocidal apartheid ethnostate. The athletes wear that flag.