Paris Olympics 2024: Palestine urges IOC To Ban Israeli Athletes from Games - Report

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The Palestine Olympic Committee (POC) has called for a ban on Israeli athletes from participating in the Paris Olympics 2024 amid Israel-Hamas War. The POC has allegedly compiled a dossier that documents instances of Israeli Olympians visiting IDF soldiers and signing missiles.

This dossier has been submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in an effort to exclude Israel from the upcoming Summer Olympics.

Nader Jayousi, Deputy Secretary General of the POC, has criticized Israel for what he describes as human rights violations in Gaza, including killings and murders. Jayousi argues that the actions of Israeli athletes are incompatible with the "Olympic spirit."

He specifically pointed out a judo champion who allegedly posted a photo of a signed missile on social media. However, the Israeli judo federation clarified that the athlete did not sign the missile himself.

Despite the POC's efforts, The Telegraph reported that it is unlikely the IOC will take action to ban Israeli athletes from the Games. Calls for Israel's exclusion from the Olympics have intensified since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

In February, 26 French lawmakers requested the IOC to sanction Israel, and an online petition calling for the same has garnered over 640,000 signatures. Additionally, protesters have demonstrated outside the IOC headquarters in Switzerland.

This push to ban Israel from the Olympics is not an isolated incident. The POC has also attempted to suspend Israel from FIFA. A recent bid to temporarily suspend Israel from FIFA was delayed, sparing Israel's team from being ejected from the men's tournament at the Games.

While the POC continues to voice for the exclusion of Israeli athletes, it remains uncertain whether their efforts will yield any significant changes in Israel's participation in international sports events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is unlikely to support this ban, despite significant public and political pressure.

IOC and other governing bodies have so far resisted these calls, emphasizing the importance of keeping politics out of sports.