Israeli Olympic delegation departs to compete in 2024 Paris Games
France to provide Israeli athletes with 24-hour security after far-left lawmaker said Israel's delegation is 'unwelcome'
The majority of the Israeli Olympic delegation left Monday afternoon for Paris, ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2024 Games scheduled for Friday.
"We feel like emissaries of the State of Israel," said Yael Arad, president of the Israeli Olympic Committee, during a press conference at Ben Gurion airport before departure. "Our athletes are here to accomplish their dreams, but there is an additional dimension, that of a national mission."
Arad emphasized that the delegation hopes to return to Israel with medals, "but our first victory is to be here, not to have given up, and to have participated in hundreds of competitions since October 7... What guides us is the flag of Israel."
The Israeli delegation departs with enhanced security presence due to tensions and threats surrounding Israel's participation in the 2024 Olympic Games, in the context of the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. France has said it will provide the athletes with round-the-clock security.
A lawmaker for the radical left-wing, Thomas Portes, said at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday that Israeli athletes are "unwelcome" over the war in the Gaza Strip, sparking outrage.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has stated that "the Israeli delegation is welcome in France" and labelled Thomas Portes' remarks as "irresponsible and dangerous."
Israel is sending 88 athletes to Paris to compete in 15 disciplines, hoping to win four or five medals. The opening ceremony along the Seine on Friday evening will see Israel represented by flag bearers Andi Murez (swimming) and Peter Paltchick (judo), both new immigrants.