A group of antisemitic supporters present at the Paris Olympics were heard chanting “Heil Hitler” when the Israeli men’s soccer team was squaring off against Paraguay, New York Post reported. The group also reportedly booed the Israeli team during the national anthem in Parc des Princes.
The protesters, who waved Palestinian flags also reportedly performed Nazi salutes while also holding a banner that read “Genocide Olympics“.
However, the actions described as “spreading hate” was brought to the attention of the authorities after which they were removed from the stadium.
A Paris Olympic organiser condemned the incident, saying, “during the men’s football match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes on 27 July, a banner bearing a political message was displayed, and anti-Semitic gestures were made.” The organiser confirmed that Paris 2024 had lodged a complaint and was cooperating with authorities for further investigation.
This incident marks the second occurrence of such protests against the Israeli soccer team at the Olympics. The team faced similar hostility last Wednesday during their match against Mali, where demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and disrupted the national anthem.
In response to the ongoing hostility, Israeli team head coach Guy Luzon commented, “Bring on the loudest protests. They will make us try harder.” Luzon expressed that the protests would only fuel the team’s determination to excel on the field.
The situation surrounding Israeli athletes remains tense, with French police investigating death threats against three Israeli competitors. As part of heightened security measures, Israeli athletes are being escorted by elite tactical units and given round-the-clock protection. The Israeli internal security service, Shin Bet, is also providing support alongside French authorities, which has been fully endorsed by Shin Bet.
France is deploying 35,000 officers daily to ensure the safety of all participants, with an additional 45,000 officers assigned for the opening ceremonies. The country is also receiving support from 40 nations, contributing nearly 2,000 reinforcements.
On Thursday, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate reported that Iranian hackers were involved in creating fake social media profiles to disseminate personal information about Israeli delegates and issue threats. In response, Israel’s foreign minister alerted his French counterpart about a possible Iranian-backed plot targeting Israeli athletes and tourists. The Iranian mission to the United nations denied these allegations, stating, “Terrorist acts have no place in the principles of resistance groups; lies and deceit cannot switch the roles of the plaintiff and the accused.”
The heightened security comes in the wake of past tragedies, including the 1972 Munich Olympics, where eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed by Palestinian terrorists.
The protesters, who waved Palestinian flags also reportedly performed Nazi salutes while also holding a banner that read “Genocide Olympics“.
However, the actions described as “spreading hate” was brought to the attention of the authorities after which they were removed from the stadium.
A Paris Olympic organiser condemned the incident, saying, “during the men’s football match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes on 27 July, a banner bearing a political message was displayed, and anti-Semitic gestures were made.” The organiser confirmed that Paris 2024 had lodged a complaint and was cooperating with authorities for further investigation.
This incident marks the second occurrence of such protests against the Israeli soccer team at the Olympics. The team faced similar hostility last Wednesday during their match against Mali, where demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and disrupted the national anthem.
In response to the ongoing hostility, Israeli team head coach Guy Luzon commented, “Bring on the loudest protests. They will make us try harder.” Luzon expressed that the protests would only fuel the team’s determination to excel on the field.
The situation surrounding Israeli athletes remains tense, with French police investigating death threats against three Israeli competitors. As part of heightened security measures, Israeli athletes are being escorted by elite tactical units and given round-the-clock protection. The Israeli internal security service, Shin Bet, is also providing support alongside French authorities, which has been fully endorsed by Shin Bet.
France is deploying 35,000 officers daily to ensure the safety of all participants, with an additional 45,000 officers assigned for the opening ceremonies. The country is also receiving support from 40 nations, contributing nearly 2,000 reinforcements.
On Thursday, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate reported that Iranian hackers were involved in creating fake social media profiles to disseminate personal information about Israeli delegates and issue threats. In response, Israel’s foreign minister alerted his French counterpart about a possible Iranian-backed plot targeting Israeli athletes and tourists. The Iranian mission to the United nations denied these allegations, stating, “Terrorist acts have no place in the principles of resistance groups; lies and deceit cannot switch the roles of the plaintiff and the accused.”
The heightened security comes in the wake of past tragedies, including the 1972 Munich Olympics, where eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed by Palestinian terrorists.