Thread by @richimedhurst

INVESTIGATION🧵: Israeli Olympic athletes are IDF soldiers. Many have called for genocide in Gaza, or expressed support for the IDF.

This violates the Olympic Charter which states that sports and politics cannot mix.

The evidence is staggering⬇️

Peter Paltchik, the Israeli flag bearer at the Paris Olympics, signed bombs that were about to be dropped on Gaza: “From me to you with pleasure.”

Paltchik, a judoka, is seen here confronting pro-Palestine protestors in Japan. A member of his entourage threatens to kill one of the activists after he lightly touched Paltchik.

Paltchick was born in Ukraine, which is ironic given that Russian athletes are banned from competing in the Olympics due to the war there. This double standard will become more apparent as we go down the list.

Sagi Muki, also on the men's judo team, is pictured here in his IDF uniform.

Muki posted a video of the IDF raising an Israeli flag on Gaza Beach after invading it, with the caption “Salute your heroes.”

Their teammate, Yam Wolczak, said “I dedicate this medal to our country, and to my best friends who fight with the best units in the IDF […] I thought about you the whole competition 🫶.”

Another member of the Judo team, Shmailov Baruch.

In one post, he advertises the Wingate Institute. Several Israeli national sports teams are based here, yet it is also a military base for fitness training, once again underscoring how Israeli sports and the military are mixed.

Baruch also posed with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at his house before heading to the Paris Olympics.

In support of the IDF, Israeli Judoka Tohar Butbul posted “From here I want to strengthen our dear soldiers at the borders.”

The ICJ ruled earlier this year that “Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide.”

This undoubtedly includes statements made by public figures and athletes officially representing Israel.

The Olympic Charter states sports organizations must be politically neutral.

Clearly, Israelis do not respect this, and neither does the IOC.

The Israeli men's judo team recently visited the 102nd Air Force squadron, receiving the commander's blessing for the Paris Olympics.

Olympic athletes from the Israeli women’s judo team recently visited an IDF base as well, posing for photos with the 402nd battallion near Gaza.

In 2021, the IDF posted a video depicting Israeli soldiers and Olympic athletes as one.

In the video, Israeli athletes are shown side by side with soldiers, as they transform into IDF troops. A gymnist moving in a circle suddenly cuts to a tank turrent mimicking the same movement.

Footballers in the Israeli women’s team recently put together a similar montage, where the video cuts between them wearing their jerseys, to them wearing their IDF uniforms, as if to say: sports and the IDF are one.

This goes beyond mandatory military service. These athletes are proud to be in the IDF, openly mix sports with politics, and pose with the Israeli army even as it bombs Gaza, and stands accused of genocide at the World Court. It is tacit endorsement of genocide and occupation.

Women’s Judo Team

Gefen Primo, an Israeli Olympic athlete in the women’s judo team, enlisted in the Israeli Air Force in 2019. In May, she wrote, “Thank you IDF soldiers and security forces.”

Ten years ago, in July 2014, as Israel was bombing Gaza and would go on to kill 2,310 Palestinians, she posted “thank you to the IDF” on Instagram.

Here she is advocating for what is ethnic cleansing (left), and trying to cover for the Israeli bombing of al Ahli (Baptist) hospital which left hundreds dead (right).

Timna Nelson-Levy, also an Israeli Olympic judoka, recently wrote that her heart and thoughts are with “our heroic soldiers all along the way and to them I want to dedicate this medal!”

In December 2023, the Israeli judoka said “I share the sorrow of the families of the IDF victims whose deaths decreed our lives!”

Fellow Olympic judoka Gili Sharir said in November that she wanted to “bring a little joy to the country that I love so much. The State, the soldiers, those kidnapped”, and dedicated a medal “to the IDF soldiers and security services.”

Teammate Maya Goshen wrote, “I want to thank our army for fighting and risking their lives for our country, to make sure we will be able to live here safely.”

Fellow teammate Inbar Lanir joined the IDF at 18. In November, she dedicated her Qatar win “to the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and to the entire State of Israel.” She also gave an interview to IDF Army Radio.

Raz Hershko joined the IDF in 2016 and is an Israeli Olympic judoka. She recently dedicated several of her medals to a fellow athlete-IDF soldier killed on Oct 7, and “to the security forces and the IDF soldiers.”

When visiting the 402nd with her team mates, she wrote: “I had the privilege of taking part in an inspiring meeting with our combatant soldiers on the Gaza border in the 402th battalion”, wrote Raz Hershko.

Swimming

Israeli swimmer Shelly Bobritsky posted a video in October 2023, complaining the Olympic Committee was not supporting Israel enough. She repeats claims about Hamas, that 10 months later have been debunked as propaganda : “raped, beheaded, and tortured”; “burned people alive.”

Shelly Bobritsky in her IDF uniform:

Additional photos of Shelly Bobritsky in her IDF uniform:

Meiron Cheruti, an Israeli Olympic swimmer, posing in his IDF uniform:

Denis Loktev, Israeli Olympic swimmer, is also an IDF soldier

In January, as the IDF was being tried for genocide in the ICJ, Martin Kartavi, also on the swimming team, posted a selfie of himself in IDF uniform with the caption “good old days”.

Track and Field

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, an Israeli Olympic marathonist, posted on Oct 14 an illustration of the IDF raining down bombs and apocalyptics destruction on Gaza. The illustration features a Bible, as if to condone this behavior as an act of God.

Maor Tiyouri, an Israeli Olympic marathonist, is pictured here in her IDF uniform:

Maor Tiyouri, who is on the Israeli track and field team, was a military teacher in the IDF. As Israel was bombing Gaza in November 2023, she was saying how proud she was to be an Israeli and in the IDF.

Blessing Afrifah, an Israeli Olympic athlete, joined the IDF in 2022, sayin “I’m very excited and happy to join the IDF”

Gashau Ayale, also in the Olympic team, said “We dedicate this medal to our IDF soldiers, to all the hostages that were rescued and those who are still in Gaza” at the men’s half-marathon in June 2024.

Equestrian

Ashlee Bond, in the equestrian team, when asked about the war in Gaza said she is “proud to represent Israel and show them that we will not back down and cower and not compete because we’re scared.”

Fencing

Yuval Freilich, an Israeli Olympic athlete on the fencing team, wrote on the 26th of July that he is “praying for the safety of all the soldiers.”

Football

Sean Goldberg, cheered on the war effort, saying he wished and prayed for “strengthening our soldiers, the heroes, may you succeed and return home in peace 🙏🏽”

Osher Davida, a footballer in the Olympic team, said “let us hope the IDF completes the task” so they don’t have to play indoors without fans.

By November 2023, Israel had massacred thousands of Palestinians and was being protested the world over, Dor Turgeman, a footballer on the Olympic team, took to Instagram that it was “a huge privilege to represent the country especially in difficult days”.

Oscar Gloukh, also on the Israeli Olympic football team, posted: “I want to dedicate this goal to all the soldiers that are protecting our country right now! On soldiers my age. While I'm playing and having fun they are fighting for our country with guns....

...Thank you to the Israeli Defense Forces. The strongest army in the world. I love you guys! Go israel 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱"

After scoring for his Austrian club RB Salzburg, Gloukh dedicated his goal to an IDF soldier, his friend, who had been killed in Gaza.

Even the Israeli athletes who did not directly condone the IDF, still posted things like “Stand with Israel”, using their professional careers in sports to illicit support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Gymnastics

Artem Dolgopyat, an Israeli Olympic gymnast born in Ukraine came to Israel and enlisted in the IDF.

“There are comments on my Instagram posts from people writing 'Free Palestine' and things like that, […] I block them immediately”

Rhythmic

Romi Paritzki is the captain of the Israeli team in Rhythmic gymnastic. Here she is pictured in her IDF uniform:

Taekwondo

Avishag Semberg is an Israeli Olympic taekwondo athlete. She joined the IDF from 2020 to 2021.

In February, she dedicated a Gold medal she won in Austria to “all the Israeli Defense Forces”.

And in April posted “Continue to pray for the return of the kidnapped and for the safety of all IDF soldiers🙏🏼🇮🇱”

In June, Semberg said “Thank you to our heroic soldiers and continue to pray for the return of all the kidnapped and for the safety of all IDF soldiers!! 🇮🇱”

Here she is in uniform meeting the IDF in 2021, no 2 months after Israel murdered thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

Surfing

Anat Lelior, a surfer on the Israeli Olympic team, said in 2021: “Being in the IDF is more than something you have to do. I’m happy to do it”.

In May 2024, during the genocide, she again spoke highly of her time in the IDF.

She said that “you need to spread kindness, not hate. I feel like that’s what we Israelis are trying to do more” and that “Israeli surfers are supporting only peace and love.”

Sailing

Shai Kakon, an Israeli Olympic sailor, is pictured here in her IDF uniform:

Footballers on the Israeli National Team

The following football players are not participating in the Olympics, but their statements are relevant to Israel’s violation of the Olympic charter.

Shon Weissman plays for the Israeli national football team. He tweeted “Destroy. Tighten. Crush. To God's revenge” and “What is the logical reason why 200 tons of bombs have not already been dropped on Gaza?”.

This caused a huge controversy in Spain, where his football club is located.

He then deleted all the tweets, and blamed his social media manager, reports Il Mattino

He said in an interview “I can’t get my mind off of our young IDF soldiers who are battling for the nation. We all hope that they come back safely. I am here for Israel in any which way.”

Tomer Yosefi, who plays for Hapoel Haifa, called for Israel to “erase Gaza permanently”, hoping that “this time there will be no concessions, and that there will be no drop of morality in the IDF.”

Ofir Davidzada, who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, said in May “We’ve met warriors in hospitals and rehabilitation wars who have become heroes”, and while tens of thousands of civilians had been murdered in Gaza by the IDF, claimed that this “cruel war” was “imposed” on Israel

In 2012, Davidzada uploaded this racist cartoon to Facebook which repeats the Israeli lie that Palestinians use civilians as human shields.

His club teammate Eran Zahavi, glorified the IDF when he met with an Israeli soldier and said “We’re not really the heroes.” “You are the heroes who give us the right to continue doing what we do during war.”

Miguel Vitor, a defender in the Israeli football team, wrote on Instagram: “To those who are fighting for our country and communities, you are heroes. Stay strong, Israel!”

Dan Glazera, an Israeli midfielder, wrote: “We admire the strength of the Israeli Defence Forces and our special people that docover a unity that is characterised only by us”.

Daniel Perez, an Israeli goalkeeper who also plays for Bayern Munich, posted in honor of the IDF in May: “I dedicate it to all the heroes and heroines who left everything to protect and fight for us:

Perez also posted a video in October saying “it’s not about politics” and then immediately proceeded to talk politics by comparing Hamas to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

The Israeli Football Association (IFA) is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

As a member the IFA and all its clubs must follow the Olympic Charter, including “promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity”

Clearly they do not:

The relationship between the IDF and Israeli football clubs is one that violates the supposed neutral nature of sports, and ethics of good sportsmanship.

Many Israeli football clubs supply IDF soldiers with goody-bags and free merchandise.

Israeli football clubs then share photos of IDF troops in Gaza wearing and advertising their products inside bulldozers, in front of tanks, and while wearing their uniforms.

This exhibits a clear, explicit association between football clubs and the military.

Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. have also hosted IDF soldiers for meals, setting up foundations and fundraisers for them too.

Israeli football clubs, like FC Beiter regularly post obituaries to IDF forces killed in Gaza, "We will always remember you, heroes".

They also hold “appreciation and reinforcement” meetings for IDF troops, and visiting the wounded.

FC Beitar posted a photo of their players paying a visit to wounded IDF troops, posing alongside them with a machine gun.

Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C. have posted photos in the past congratulating fans on enlisting in the IDF.

Earlier this month, they announced that all IDF soldiers would receive free entry to matches.

Maccabi Netayna FC glorify the IDF’s air campaign in Gaza by posting images of Israeli aircraft.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva Football Club has hosted injured IDF soldiers and police after football matches.

IDF troops in Gaza regularly film motivational messages for the football players, encouraging them to win their games in order to make the troops happy.

In other words, football players are linking their performance on the pitch, to boosting the morale of IDF forces involved in genocide and war crimes. Whether implicitly or explicitly, the line between sports and the military vanishes.

This also radicalizes the fans of Israeli football clubs, teaching them to support genocide, and to link support for their club with support for the Israeli war effort.

Football of Maccabi FC, for example, recently beat up a man in Greece who was carrying a Palestinian flag.

This behavior by Israeli football clubs has gone unpunished and unsanctioned by the IFA.

The IFA is bound to “oppose any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes” as stated in the Olympic Charter. But there have been no fines, no reprimands, no calls for change.

This is reason enough to ban the IFA from FIFA, the world’s governing body of association football, and the IOC— never mind the incriminating statements made by individual Israeli athletes supporting the war effort and publicly inciting genocide against Palestinians.

Slaughtering Palestinian Athletes

Not only are Israeli athletes in the IDF, openly mixing politics with sports, and publicly supporting the war, with zero consequences— but the Palestinian teams are not even allowed to compete in peace.

The Olympic Charter says the IOC must uphold“safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse.”

Yet the IOC did nothing when over 300 Palestinian athletes in Gaza were murdered by Israel.

That list includes 266 footballers, 3 of which played for the Palestinian national team. Many of these sports stars were murdered alongside their entire families.

Israel also killed an international FIFA referee, assistant referee-- even the coach of the Palestinian Olympic Football team (below) Hani Al-Masdar.

At least 66 children who play football in Gaza’s youth academies were also murdered by Israeli and American bombs.

Moreover, Israel has destroyed all sports infrastructure and equipment in Gaza, preventing Palestinian athletes from training and preparing for competitions.

Israel turned Yarmouk stadium turned into a concentration camp by the IDF. Palestinian men and boys were stripped down to their underwear, blindfolded, and forced to sit in stress positions while Israeli soldiers filmed them and shared their war crimes on social media.

In the background, Israeli bulldozers destroyed the grass so Palestinians could no longer enjoy football.

All 41 football pitches in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by Israel during the last 10 months.

This spiteful behavior is similar to how Israeli bulldozers destroy the roads in Jenin or Nablus after raiding them, to make it harder for ambulances to reach the wounded.

Clearly, there is a double standard when it comes to Israeli athletes.

Despite being in the army, and publicly support the genocide in Gaza, they are allowed to compete in international sports.

Meanwhile, Russian and Belarusian athletes, the majority of whom never said anything to support the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated with the government or the army, were banned and sent home.

Israeli athletes clearly violate neutrality rules by mixing sports with politics. They have not been reprimanded for any of this behavior, indicating the full support of Israel’s sports institutions.

This would normally be an open and shut case. Especially with two ICJ rulings against Israel, affirming that a genocide is ongoing and that Israel has instituted a system of apartheid against Palestinians.

Israeli Football clubs themselves openly associate with the IDF, provoding food, supplies, receptions, and publishing pro-war propaganda over social media— even encouraging Israelis to join the army.

Israeli players visit wounded IDF forces in hospital, take photos with them, and the clubs post obituaries commemorating killed IDF soldiers.

Israel then kills Palestinian athletes and destroys their sports equipment, while illegally hosting its own football clubs on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank.

FIFA and the IOC decided to mix politics and sports when they took a political stance against Russia over Ukraine. Now they refuse to take a political stance over Gaza, despite the overwhelming evidence against Israeli athletes, in a cynical attempt to preserve Israel’s iamge.

Given the ICJ’s ruling in January against Israel, and the souring of Israel’s international image, the risk of reprimand was real.

Slaughtering Palestinian Athletes

Not only are Israeli athletes in the IDF, openly mixing politics with sports, and publicly supporting the war, with zero consequences— but Palestinian athletes are not even allowed to compete in peace.

The Olympic Charter says the IOC must uphold“safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse.”

Yet the IOC did nothing when over 300 Palestinian athletes in Gaza were murdered by Israel.

That list includes 266 footballers, 3 of which played for the Palestinian national team. Many of these sports stars were murdered alongside their entire families.

Israel also killed an international FIFA referee, assistant referee-- even the coach of the Palestinian Olympic Football team (below) Hani Al-Masdar.

At least 66 children who play football in Gaza’s youth academies were also murdered by Israeli and American bombs.

Moreover, Israel has destroyed all sports infrastructure and equipment in Gaza, preventing Palestinian athletes from training and preparing for competitions.

Yarmouk stadium was even turned into a concentration camp by the IDF. Palestinian men and boys were stripped down to their underwear, blindfolded, and forced to sit in stress positions while Israeli soldiers filmed them and shared their own war crimes on social media.

In the background, Israeli bulldozers destroyed the grass so Palestinians could no longer enjoy football.

All 41 football pitches in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by Israel during the last 10 months.

This spiteful behavior is similar to how Israeli bulldozers destroy the roads in Jenin or Nablus after raiding the refugee camps, to make it harder for ambulances to reach the wounded.

Football fans* of Maccabi FC

Palestinian officials tried to get Israel banned from FIFA in May, which could've affected Israel's participation in the Olympics.

The Israelis were so scared, due to the incriminating evidence against them, that the head of the Israeli army worked to "torpedo" these efforts.

The Israeli foreign minister went on Twitter and openly threatened to imprison the head of the Palestine Football Association (PFA) and Olympic Committee for this.

You can't make this up.

Clearly, there is a double standard when it comes to Israeli athletes.

Despite being in the army, and publicly supporting the genocide in Gaza, they are allowed to compete in international sports.

Meanwhile, Russian and Belarusian athletes, the majority of whom never said anything to support the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated with the government or the army, were banned and sent home.

Israeli athletes clearly violate neutrality rules by mixing sports with politics. They have not been reprimanded for any of this behavior, indicating the full support of Israel’s sports institutions.

This would normally be an open and shut case. Especially with two ICJ rulings against Israel, affirming that a genocide is ongoing and that Israel has instituted a system of apartheid against Palestinians.

Israeli Football clubs themselves openly associate with the IDF, providing food, supplies, receptions, and publishing pro-war propaganda over social media— even encouraging Israelis to join the army.

Israeli players visit wounded IDF forces in hospital, take photos with them, and the clubs post obituaries commemorating killed IDF soldiers.

Israel then kills Palestinian athletes and destroys their sports equipment, while illegally hosting its own football clubs on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank.

FIFA and the IOC decided to mix politics and sports when they took a political stance against Russia over Ukraine. Now they refuse to take a political stance over Gaza, despite the overwhelming evidence against Israeli athletes, in a cynical attempt to preserve Israel’s image.

By doing nothing, FIFA and the IOC have become complicit in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, and emboldened its killing of athletes.

There is so much incriminating evidence against Israeli Olympic athletes, football clubs, and institutions that I reached the limit while writing this Twitter thread several times. Read the full article here:

richardmedhurst.substack.com/p/meet-israels

This investigation took a long time to research and write. If you enjoyed it please support my work and independent journalism. Thank you.

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