2024 Olympic Games: IOC and the media fuel Palestinian infantilism

A large part of the world's media doesn't miss an opportunity to victimize the Palestinians, to publish stories appealing to reader's sensitivity about the hardships they are going through, holding Israel accountable for their suffering, either underhandedly or directly, especially in the midst of the war started by Hamas and other terrorist groups with the October 7 massacre. And the Paris Olympics are no exception.

This international sports competition has prompted several media outlets to create emotionally charged reports with this theme, as it always serves as a good filler to show themselves more progressive and sensitive.

The Palestinian delegation has been competing in the Olympics since 1996 and was recognized as a member of the Olympic Council of Asia in 1986 and by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1995.

Regarding the Paris Olympics, eight Palestinians are participating in the competition, the largest number in history. Although most of them were not born in Gaza or the West Bank, but in countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Chile and the United States.

Six of the athletes representing Palestine are men, and two are women. Two compete in athletics, two in swimming, and the rest are split between boxing, judo, taekwondo and shooting.

While the stories told by these media often appeal to people's sensibilities, the truth is that the attitudes of the Palestinian sports leadership and the athletes, as well as the majority of the inhabitants of Gaza and the West Bank, do not usually reflect a message of peace, coexistence or pluralism. 

Before the start of the Olympics, Varsen Aghabekian, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, said during a press conference that "representing Palestine" at the Paris Games "is already a victory."

The official further maintained that "the departure of our athletes for the 2024 Olympics comes at a very dark moment in our history." She added that these are not just athletes but "symbols of Palestinian resistance." Did the official use the term "resistance" to refer to Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, especially those of the October 7 massacre? In any case, the "resistance" is that of those few Palestinians who have been encouraged to speak out against Hamas or the Palestinian Authority government itself and were imprisoned, tortured, and/or killed or forced into exile.

Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, stated in late July that he was unwilling to shake hands with the leaders of Israel's Olympic Committee. Quite a message of peace, isn't it?

Rajoub also defended Palestinian delegation boxer Wasim Abusal, who, before the opening ceremony, wore a white T-shirt embroidered with images of fighter jets dropping missiles on children playing sports, which is against IOC rules, as it prohibits making political statements during the Olympics.

"It's a message of peace. It's a message to attract attention," Rajoub argued  to justify Abusal's action. "It's an anti-war message, against murder. This is in line with the Olympic Charter," he added.

Abusal also weighed in. "This T-shirt represents the current reality in Gaza. The children who die are martyrs, and they die under the rubble, children whose parents are martyrs and are left alone without food and water."

In a macabre coincidence, the day after the opening of the Olympics and after Abusal was shown wearing the T-shirt depicting rockets falling on children playing sports, a Hezbollah attack in northern Israel killed 12 children, teenagers and young adults playing soccer in a Druze village.

Privileges for 'Palestinian' athletes

The athletes of the Palestinian delegation received special invitations from the IOC to participate in the Paris Olympics, so it was not necessary for them to qualify in order to compete in Paris.

In fact, only taekwondo athlete Omar Ismail secured his qualification directly during the qualifying tournament in Tai'an, China.

Speaking to AFP before the start of the Olympics, Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, said: "We have made a clear commitment that even if no [Palestinian] athlete qualifies in the field, the Palestinian National Olympic Committee will benefit from invitations, just like other national Olympic committees that do not have a qualified athlete."

Reprehensible displays of antisemitism

Many Arab fans took the opportunity to display their Palestinian flags and manifest all their antisemitic hatred.

During a soccer match, a group of Arab fans exclaimed "Heil Hitler" while Israel's national anthem was playing.

In another repudiatory episode, a violent mob attacked Jewish fans after a soccer match played by Israel and Mali.

Adidas and Bella Hadid scandal

Recently, the company Adidas was the target of heavy criticism after it cast antisemitic model Bella Hadid during an ad campaign. She is the daughter of billionaire Palestinian real estate developer Mohamed Hadid and was contracted to advertise the SL72 athletic shoe, inspired by the 1972 Munich Olympics, when 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

Adidas withdrew the advertisement due to the widespread repudiation provoked by its publication, but the damage had already been done.

Palestinians must stop being treated like wayward children

The IOC's behavior in inviting Palestinian athletes to participate in the Olympics without the need to qualify, coupled with allowing them to violate the competition's own rules and ignoring - which somehow implies justifying - the violent behavior of their fans against Jews or the repudiatory expressions of the leaders of the Palestinian Authority, clearly symbolizes the worldwide treatment of Palestinians.

Palestinians can teach their children to hate and murder Jews in schools without generating a great deal of international repudiation. They can kill each other for political reasons, which not many will care too much about. Furthermore, terrorist groups can perpetrate the worst massacre against Jews since the Holocaust. The majority of Palestinian civilians can justify such a crime. Still, it will not generate as much horror in many media, organizations and governments around the world, which will be more vocal in criticizing the counter-offensive of the victims, at best, or justify the massacre.

Therefore, the Palestinians know that this role of eternal victims fits them like a glove. It is irrelevant how serious their statements or actions are. They will always be justified as whimsical children of overindulgent parents.

Such an attitude from much of the world does not help the Palestinians, as it only exacerbates their intolerant, racist, authoritarian and murderous ideology with which they are poisoned day by day.

The Palestinians are justified in any action that is not forgiven to anyone else, which is taken advantage of by the enemies of the free world who use them as scapegoats and cannon fodder to advance against the values of the West.

To stop adding fuel to the fire in the Middle East and to really walk the path of peace, it is necessary that the Palestinians mature once and for all.