Palestine Olympic Committee calls to ban Israel from competing in 2024 games - report

The Palestine Olympic Committee (POC) has called for a ban on Israeli athletes from participating in the Paris Olympics, The Telegraph reported Friday.

The Telegraph noted that the POC allegedly gathered a dossier showing Israeli Olympians visiting IDF soldiers and signing missiles. The dossier was submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in a bid to block Israel from the Games that begin next week. 

Deputy secretary general of the POC, Nader Jayousi, blamed Israel "for the human rights violations happening in Gaza, and the killings and murders of every single person."

Palestinian Olympic Group says Israeli behavior incompatible with 'Olympic spirit'

The Telegraph quoted his criticism of Israeli athletes for behavior he claims does not align with "Olympic spirit," such as a judo champion allegedly posting pictures of a signed missile on social media. The report stated that the Israeli judo federation clarified that the athlete did not sign the missile himself. 

Despite the urging of the POC, it is unlikely that the IOC will make changes to Israel's competition status or support an outright ban, The Telegraph reported.

Calls for banning Israel from the Olympics began not long after October 7 and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. In February, 26 French lawmakers requested the IOC to sanction Israel from participating, according to The Telegraph's report. A similar online petition garnered over 640,000 signatures, and protesters demonstrated outside the IOC headquarters in Switzerland.

This case follows an additional Palestinian bid to ban Israel from FIFA.

A Palestinian attempt to temporarily suspend Israel from FIFA was delayed and spared FIFA from a ruling that would have seen Israel's team ejected from the men's tournament at the Games. 

The Palestinian team

The Palestinian team for the Games starting on Friday consists of six athletes who will be competing in boxing, judo, taekwondo, shooting and swimming, with slim hopes of a medal, Reuters reported. 

"Whether a medal or not, we already win," swimmer Yazan Al Bawwab told Reuters.

"The fact that we're here. The fact that people don't want us to be here, they don't want us to play sports. They don't want us to exist."

"People don't want Palestinians to exist. They look at the flag and they don't want it. So to be here is a win," said Al Bawwab, who will be the team's flag bearer during the opening ceremony.

In the run-up to the Paris Olympics, Palestinian athletes had been given support by Arab states, including Kuwait, Qatar, Libya and Egypt, to allow training in those countries.

Palestinian sports officials have said that since the start of the conflict in October 2023, more than 300 athletes, referees, and sports officials have been killed, and all sports facilities in Gaza demolished.

"I said it before, but I'm one of the luckiest people in the world," swimmer Valerie Tarazi said. "I have the opportunity to compete for my country, to raise the flag for my country."

"My heart is with them. Every time I swim, every time I jump in the pool, I'm thinking about the people of Palestine, their struggles. And I just want to represent them in the best way possible."

The Palestinian cause has garnered international support, with weekly protests held in major Western cities and across the Middle East and in Asia for the last nine months.