Israel’s Olympic Committee has confirmed that its athletes will join the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite security concerns raised by some experts. The opening ceremony, which will take place on July 26, 2024, will be the first of its kind to be held outside the stadium, with a parade of 160 boats carrying the athletes along the river SeineAt least 600,000 spectators are expected to watch the spectacle, which will showcase the cultural and historical heritage of Paris.
Yael Arad, the head of Israel’s Olympic Committee and a former judoka who won a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games, told AFP that Israel will not miss the opportunity to be part of the historic event. “Israel will be in the opening ceremony,” she said during an interview in Tel Aviv. “I’m sure they’re going to do everything they can to make this event safe.”
Security challenges and threats
The unprecedented opening ceremony poses significant security challenges for the French authorities, who will have to deploy more than 45,000 security staff on that day aloneFrench media has quoted security experts expressing concern that the ceremony could be disrupted by terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, drones, or protests, especially in the context of the recent Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The war in Gaza, which lasted for 11 days in May 2023, resulted in the death of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel responded with a relentless bombardment and a ground offensive, killing at least 24,620 Palestinians, around 70 percent of them women, children and adolescents, according to Gaza health ministry figures. The war sparked mass protests around the world, not least in Paris, where thousands demonstrated against the conflictSome protesters also chanted anti-Semitic slogans and attacked Jewish-owned businesses, raising fears of a resurgence of anti-Semitism in France.
Israel’s Olympic history and hopes
Israel has a long and tragic history with the Olympics, dating back to the 1972 Munich massacre, when 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed by Palestinian terrorists. Since then, Israel has faced boycotts, discrimination, and hostility from some of its opponents, especially from Muslim countries, such as Iran, which have refused to compete against IsraelisArad said that any such incidents during the Paris Olympics would not be tolerated, and that Israel expects fair and respectful treatment from all the participants.
Israel has also struggled to achieve Olympic glory, winning only nine medals in its history, four of them in judo. Arad said that Israel hopes to improve its performance in Paris, where it will send its largest delegation ever, with more than 100 athletes competing in 18 sportsShe said that Israel has high hopes for its judokas, swimmers, gymnasts, and shooters, among others, and that the country aims to win at least five medals in Paris.
