The head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Jibril Rajoub, expressed on Wednesday his hope that the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris will attract more attention to the war in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Rajoub said, in a press conference held in Ramallah, “Paris is a historic moment, and a great moment to go there and tell the world that the time has come to say stop, enough is enough.”
He stressed that he feels that “the Israelis have lost their legal and moral right to attend as long as they continue their crimes in Gaza,” pointing to “the killing of 300 athletes and sports employees in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, the destruction of sports infrastructure, and the Israeli forces’ use of stadiums as detention centers.”
Footage published by Israeli media showed dozens of stripped Palestinians, including children, detained in Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City in December 2023.
Rajoub continued, “In our opinion, the crimes committed against the Palestinians, and the policy of restricting sports activity, have negated any legal or moral right for Israel to participate in the Olympic Games in France.”
He added, “An Israeli player directs missiles at our children in Gaza, and another Israeli judoka player visits the occupation army that is committing crimes in Gaza, and encourages them and issues threats. Do these people deserve to be in games that have to do with everything that is human and moral?”
He stressed that “it is time to subject the Israeli sports criminal to trial, which contradicts the message of the Olympic Games.”
On the Olympic level, Rajoub said, “We seek to have players who carry the humanitarian, political and struggle content in the sports system, through our participation in the Olympic Games next month, and we will interact with all the Olympic committees participating in this historic event.”
He criticized the restrictions imposed on sports movement by Israel, and the difficulties of movement that make it difficult for Palestinian athletes to travel to participate in international sporting events or train abroad.
He pointed out that Palestinian taekwondo player Omar Ismail qualified “despite all the difficulties and challenges,” and said, “I think that in the end we will have between 6 and 8 (athletes in Paris),” expressing his hope that they will be able to compete under the winning card system.
Rajoub: We are committed to our home stadium… and we will continue to pursue the occupation and expose its crimes
🔗 Details 👇 pic.twitter.com/Q7SnoJLAqv
– Palestinian Football Association (@PSFA28) June 12, 2024
Invitation cards are part of the International Olympic Committee’s global rule, which requires the attendance of all National Olympic Committees at the Olympics, as the system allows a limited number of men and women to participate even if they do not meet the necessary criteria.
The Olympic Games begin in Paris on July 26.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said last April that “even if no (Palestinian) athlete on the field qualifies… the Palestinian National Olympic Committee will benefit from invitations, like other National Olympic Committees that do not have a qualified athlete.”
Rajoub stressed that he views “the European protests against the war in Gaza with a positive eye,” adding, “I believe that what is happening in Europe and everywhere is a good message of hope for the Palestinians.”