French MP tells Israeli athletes they are ‘not welcome at the Olympics’ in Paris by Ben Ashton
Published Jul 22, 2024, 10:46am<
|Updated Jul 22, 2024, 10:47am
Thomas Portes said Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympics (Picture: Getty)
A French MP has sparked a huge row just days before the start of the Olympics after saying Israeli athletes are not welcome in Paris.
Thomas Portes, a lawmaker for far-left party France Unbowed (LFI), made his controversial comments at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday.
‘I am here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris,’ he said. ‘Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris.’
The 38-year-old claimed that competitors representing Israel should have to compete under a neutral flag because of the ongoing war in Gaza.
It comes after the International Olympic Committee announced Russian and Belarussian athletes will only be allowed to take part without any national ties – and cannot attend the opening ceremony – because of the conflict in Ukraine.
Mr Portes added: ‘France’s diplomats should pressure the International Olympic Committee to bar the Israeli flag and anthem, as is done for Russia.
‘It’s time to end the double standard.’
Indécence de Thomas Portes !1972 : 11 athlètes israéliens sont assassinés par des terroristes palestiniens aux JO de Munich.2024 : LFI demande l’exclusion des athlètes israéliens des JO de Paris.Depuis le 7 octobre, Thomas Portes légitime le Hamas. Il met maintenant une… pic.twitter.com/1YwR7aUWmn
— Yonathan Arfi (@Yonathan_Arfi)
July 20, 2024
His comments were met with widespread backlash and criticism from the Jewish community.
Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, slammed Mr Portes as being ‘irresponsible’.
He wrote on X: ‘Indecency of Thomas Portes! ‘1972: 11 Israeli athletes are murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Olympics.
‘2024: LFI calls for the exclusion of Israeli athletes from the Paris Olympics. Since October 7, Thomas Portes has legitimized Hamas.
‘He now puts a target on the backs of Israeli athletes, already the most threatened in the Olympic Games. Irresponsible.’
Yonathan Arfi, head of the French Jewish council, has condemned Mr Portes’ comments (Picture: Getty)
Almost 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war escalated in October last year, according the territory’s health ministry.
Israel responded with a heavy counterattack after Hamas militants launched an assault, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.
But Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes in Gaza, killing thousands of women and children in a barrage which has led to a humanitarian crisis.
Homes, schools, hospitals and places of worship have been flattened and the majority of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been made homeless.
Poster Comment:
It is what it is.