Israel’s Olympic and Paralympic teams will have unprecedented security at the Paris Olympics and will therefore be able to focus solely on sport, bringing joy and pride to Israel, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said on Wednesday. He was speaking at a reception hosted by President Isaac Herzog for both teams, as well as Israel’s Olympic officials, at the President’s Residence.
French security agencies are also aware of the security challenges and will be on special alert, said Zohar.
Israel has been particularly security-conscious at such events since the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
On their way to Paris, some of those present at the president’s garden will travel via Munich to place a wreath at the monument to the murdered Israeli athletes.
Two of those athletes’ widows, Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romano, who have been at the forefront of efforts to keep their memories alive, prosecute the perpetrators, and exact compensation for the bereaved families, attended the president’s reception. Also present were French Ambassador Frederic Journes, former Olympic medalists, and 91-year-old Uri Afek, a major figure in Israeli sports who has accompanied every Israeli Olympic team since 1952, when Israel first participated in the Olympic Games in Helsinki.
All event speakers noted that the hoisting of the Israeli flag and the playing of Hatikvah (“The Hope”), Israel’s national anthem, in Paris will be more significant than ever.
They also agreed that the athletes would represent Israel in addition to sports.“We have an ambassador in France, but you will all be ambassadors,” said Herzog. “They don’t like us in Europe or in France, but you will be the ambassadors of Israel in all that you do.”
Speakers also referred to this complex period in Israel’s history, during which people are participating in international competitions in the midst of war, ongoing news of fallen soldiers, and efforts to bring home the hostages.
Herzog urged the athletes to think of the hostages while competing, hoping that some of them might be near an open radio and hear about the Israeli contestants.
Zohar told the athletes that, amid all the challenges currently confronting Israel, the contestants in the Olympic and Paralympic Games have the opportunity to bring some happiness to the nation.
Israeli team to take extra safety precautions
Despite Israel’s current fiscal problems, a significant amount of money has been allocated for security, he said.
He warned the athletes that they would have to cope with a lot of provocation from antisemitic and anti-Israel sources, and he asked them not to lower themselves to the level of their provocateurs. “I’m sure you’ll stand strong,” he said.
JUDOKA Yael Arad, who chairs Israel’s Olympic Committee, made history at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where she became the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal.
She is well aware of what it means for an athlete to realize the dream of participating in a global sports event and being a winner. This time, she said, “you are all accompanied by the trauma of October 7 and the 120 hostages who are still in captivity.”
She was pleased that the two teams include much of the demographic mosaic of Israel, including immigrants, sabras, Jews, Muslims, and Druze.
“After Munich, we proved that Israeli sport is alive and well,” she said.
Referring to the non-athletic aspect of the Olympics, she reminded her audience that the Olympics are a bridge between peoples, “and we have been on that bridge for more than 70 years.”
She praised the athletes for their determination, grit, ability to stand ready, both mentally and physically, and willpower, stating, “You are an example and an inspiration to us all.”
Paralympics Committee Chair Moshe Matalon told the athletes, “Each of you is a hero in themselves.” He specifically referred to individuals who suffered permanent disabilities due to injuries sustained while serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
Several soldiers who were wounded in the Swords of Iron War have already been integrated into paralympic sports and are doing quite well. Hopefully, some of them will be on the team that competes in Los Angeles in 2028, said Matalon.
A video of former paralympic champions conveyed the message that sport has enriched their lives and given them a sense of purpose.
Matalon invited all wounded soldiers who had been left with disabilities of any kind to join in paralympic sports.
Judoka Peter Paltchik, a European gold medal champion who returned from the Tokyo Olympics with a bronze medal, said that the athletes are grateful for all the support they receive because it helps them prove that there is no limit to Israel’s sporting spirit and willpower.
Paralympic medalist Yuliya Chernoy quipped that she was the only person still using a gun to make her point. A paralympic shooter, she uses an air rifle.
Every athletic contest has always involved a strenuous effort to achieve success, but this year, she noted, it’s not just a matter of succeeding in sports; it’s also about bringing pride to the nation. “We can’t all defend the country with arms, but we can do it in other ways,” she said, expressing hope that all of her fellow athletes will provide a reason for the hoisting of the Israeli flag and the playing of Hatikvah.
The Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.
The opening will take place on boats along the Seine River rather than the traditional parade through a stadium.
This will be the third time that Paris has hosted the Olympics. The first time was in 1900, and the second was 100 years ago, in 1924. The only other city to host the Olympic Games three times is London.