OPINION: Anti-Israel bias is being given more than a sporting chance

Football is not the most prominent Olympic sport, but it’s the one that started first, so I settled down to watch Israel vs Mali a week ago. During the game, I decided to have a quick look at whether I could buy a replica shirt.

Heading over to the site of kiltmaker PUMA, I found that I could purchase Iceland, Serbia, and Switzerland attire, but nothing for Israel. According to the company, this is because only its distribution partner in Israel has a contract with the Israeli Football Association, not PUMA itself. Subsequently, you can only get the shirt through other channels.

A look at one such channel shows that a shirt is indeed available on an Israeli website, although it is not the one that was worn at the Olympics. It is all rather convenient for PUMA, who would undoubtedly face the wrath of keyboard warriors were such items easily available for purchase.

The difficulty in acquiring replica kit is far from the worst thing to happen to Israeli footballers and fans during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Videos have emerged of some in the crowd at their match vs Paraguay chanting Heil Hitler whilst waving Palestinian flags.

The judo mats have been the most prominent centre of anti-Israel sentiment. Israeli judoka Tohar Butbu has now seen three consecutive opponents withdraw rather than face him. The latest, Algerian Redouane Messaoud Dris, was found to be overweight and thus disqualified. The Israel Olympic Committee is convinced this was done deliberately, saying: “Tohar’s competitor has removed himself from the competition.” If true, it is a rather cowardly way to protest.

Elsewhere, Nurali Emomali from Tajikistan refused to shake Baruch Shamailov’s hand after beating the Israeli. Some on social media even claimed Emomali shouted “Allah Akbar” once their match had finished.

It is worth noting that judokas trying to avoid Israelis is not a new phenomenon. Back at Rio 2016, Saudi Arabian Joud Fahmy forfeited her first-round match, citing injury. Israeli media at the time reported that this was not the case and she just want didn’t want to fight Israeli Gili Cohen. On that occasion, Cohen lost before the two might have fought, rendering the whole exercise not just pathetic but pointless.

It goes without saying there have been calls to remove Israel from the Olympics, to ban its football team from competition and so on. That has not happened, but the protests and abuse directed at Israeli athletes has been continuous.

There have reportedly even been death threats. That hardly seems in the Olympic spirit. Over five decades on from the Munich massacre, the Israeli delegation still requires extra security too. Someone should tell Bella Hadid and Adidas.

National representation in sport really matters, particularly at the Olympic games. It is why the IOC’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their own flag after the invasion of Ukraine was such a powerful sanction. The attempts of people to lump Israel in with Putin’s pariah state are despicable.

It all makes me want to proudly and defiantly wear an Israel football shirt. If only I could.

• Charlotte Henry is a freelance journalist