In just seven months, the 2024 Olympics will commence in Paris, raising uncertainty about how the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza might impact this global sports event.
The Nation, a US magazine known for its progressive stance and criticism of Israeli policies, recently questioned whether the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should ban Israel from the Olympics.
"Israel and the IOC are on a collision course," it warned. "[A] close look at how the IOC is treating Russia provides insight into what might—or perhaps even should—happen with the state of Israel."
How Russia was banned from the 2024 Olympics
The IOC recently banned Russia from participating as a nation in the upcoming Olympics. Some Russian athletes might compete under a neutral flag and, if they emerge victorious, will not have their national anthem played during medal ceremonies.
The article ponders, "What if Israel were to annex territory that houses Palestinian sports organizations?"
"The IOC is willing to overlook crimes against humanity, but perhaps not what it considers crimes against sport. It must be said, however, that in the last decade FIFA has not cared when the Israeli military killed Palestinian soccer players and bombed Palestine’s soccer stadiums."
The same article suggests, "To be consistent, and especially if Israel starts the full-throttle annexation of land in the West Bank or Gaza, the IOC could be pressured to tell Israeli athletes to compete as neutrals, just like Russia."
Criticizing the IOC's frequent use of the term "neutral" as an excuse for inaction against human rights violations and brutality, the article claims, "In doing so, the IOC is treating Palestinians like a disposable population, not a full member of the Olympic family in need of sympathy and support... The attempted occupiers of Ukraine and Palestine could conceivably find themselves on the outside of the Games looking in."
Ken McCue, a member of the Irish group Insaka-Ireland, was quoted in the article, stating, "Some sport people in Ireland are considering a call for Israel to be banned from the Olympics. The IOC did it to Russia and did it to South Africa, why can’t they do it to Israel?"