Lebanese Olympic Team Demands Barrier Separation From Israel Squad
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Aerial shot of Olympic Park in London. Photo: wiki commons.
The Lebanese judo team forced International Olympic Committee officials to erect a barrier between themselves and the Israeli judo squad, Friday afternoon in London, just hours before the Games’ opening ceremony, reports Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot.
Both teams were scheduled to train inside London’s ExCeL center but Lebanon’s team did not want to be seen by the Israeli one, and IOC officials heeded the Lebanese demand after the team’s coach demanded separation.
This is not the first time Middle Eastern judo teams have caused a political stir. In February, Egypt’s Ramadan Dawris defeated Arik Zeevi of Israel, but afterwards, Dawris refused to shake the hand of his competitor.
The opening ceremony will air on NBC at 7:30 pm ET.
3:59 am
The thing is is that the Lebanese team are directly breaking the Olympic Rules, as stated by the Olympic Charter:
Rule # 6 states:
Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race,
religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic
Movement.
So why is it that they can disqualify some badminton players for not playing properly, but when it comes to an Arab “State” breaking the rules, there is nothing done? I am disgusted with the Olympics anyway. They refused to to include in the minute silence anything about the Israeli Olympians killed in Munich by Palestinian Terrorists 40 years ago because the PALESTINIAN team protested, saying to do so would make “division” and be “racist” – yeah, you would protest it, seeing as it was your scummy brothers who killed them.
Then there is the fact that the chimpanzee bumplug leader of Iran, the one who was going to boycott the games because the London 2012 logo spelled “Zion” is now attending – the IOC feels its ok for him, a man who wants to murder every Israeli in Nuclear fire, to visit our games on this anniversary.
Then there is this judo team fiasco…
The simple rule is: When it comes to Arabs, EVERYONE does exactly what they want because G-d forbid we might upset these “peaceful” people and incur their wrath.
7:09 am
Perhaps the Lebanese team needed their mommies there too, to protect them from the naughty Jews ???
9:13 pm
Interesting,just before the games begin, the IOC bends to kiss the behinds of the Lebanese.G-d forbid the IOC were to insult the Arab nations,but it is OK to spit in the face of the Israelis (Jews).
Yes, I guess I missed something when the rules were made. The Lebanese team and a y other teams should be sent back to where they came from. Enough of this “the games are no place for political displays”. Please don’t insult my intelligence.
Phil Fink
Executive Director
Olam Brodcasting, Inc,
Cleveland OH
8:36 pm
Perhaps they were worried the Israeli team would bomb them.
6:21 pm
As the president of the US once said, “the creation of a wall dividing the two nations is yet another example of the neglect of this Administration in brokering peace.”
1:17 pm
Could the real reason for this be that in a repeat of the 1972 terrorist attack on Israeli athletes, the Lebanese are afraid that “collateral damage” could kill, or injure members of the Lebanese team? As Hezbollah is now part of the Lebanese national government, and in any subsequent war with Israel, all of Lebanon would be a potential target, it would seem that Lebanon would want to avoid any provocation which would lead to a war!
12:00 pm
Are the Israelis requiring the Olympic committee to see to it that it’s athletes aren’t slaughtered by ragheads, like they were 40 years ago?
Muslims are the whiniest babies in the entire world.
11:23 am
I am wondering why we accept coming of a country such Isreal in the Olympic ?
This is a sport event not political issues
11:01 am
Why does the Olympic Committee allow any group openly preaching hate like the Lebanon and Iran teams to compete.
10:40 am
So, the IOC bows down to this horrible, shocking request, but does not agree to honor the memory of the slain Israeli athletes during the Opening Ceremonies? So much for keeping politics out of the games. The Lebanese should have been told in no uncertain terms–you practice where we tell you and how we tell you or you go home. The IOC is absolutely disgusting.
10:20 am
The organizers should have told the Lebanese to suck on it or take the next plane home. This arrogant racist team is not fit to participate in the Olympics.
9:57 am
The IOC is acting in an identical manner to the way it acted in 1936 when it enthusiastically supported the banning of MATY GLICKMAN and SAM STOLLER because they were Jewish. Wake up! Repeat after me: the IOC is antissemetic!
9:16 am
what was the context? how many teams were practising? did they just ask for a barrier against one team? maybe there were only the two teams there? maybe it was for competitve reasons not racist ones?
9:11 am
well, we should have a more complete picture of the story before jumping to “racism” conclusions…
9:10 am
Hey guys we shouldn’t jump to conclusions…”Both teams were scheduled to train inside London’s ExCeL center but Lebanon’s team did not want to be seen by the Israeli one”.. Maybe they didn’t want the other team to see their moves, maybe this was motivated by competitive reasons, not racist ones. A little more investigation is required to get the full story before we jump to condemn anyone. Peace
9:04 am
The Olympics would be SO much better without the bigots at the IOC.
8:27 am
The Olympics are a farce. Instead of fostering peace, goodwill and friendly competition it simply encourages the usual Jew hating so typical of a good part of the world. The hell with the Olympics and its antisemitic host the U.K.
8:26 am
The organizers should have told the Lebanese to suck on it or take the next plane home. This arrogant racist team is not fit to participate in the Olympics.
8:14 am
The IOC is embarrassing itself by acceding to these demands. It was bad enough that they refuse a moment of silence for the Olympic athletes killed in Munich, but can have a moment of silence for the london victims. All in the name of no politics, but then the show what a joke it is by doing this for the lebanese judo team. Personally, I’ve decided not to watch any of the olympics.
5:57 am
I think the Lebanese team should be kicked out.
4:32 am
Why is it that the anti-semitic bigots are always accommodated?
4:10 am
Enjoy your country under the thumb of assad and hezbollah. You people have made such good choices in your friends in the recent past.
3:14 am
The IOC should have explained the idea behind the Olympic games to the Lebanese team, and given them the option of either cutting the crap or going home.
-jcr
2:15 am
And here’s me thinking that racism was supposed to be banned from the Olympics. Or is this 1936 still…
1:54 am
So, let me get this straight: When the Greek athlete was kicked for tweeting an unfunny joke (ok, authorities called it racist, which is stupid, but whatever), they had a lot to say about how the Olympics are supposed to be about peace and some such.
So how will we ever get to peace if the Lebanese can’t even put down their hatred and animosity for however long it takes to do a judo match? Worse, the authorities gave in to them, enabled them in their road trip of hate. It doesn’t matter what they do, at home and abroad, they spill hatred onto Israelis and then act like victims.
Hypocrites.
1:30 am
The whole reason for the Olympics were for all nations competing to hold all quarrels.If they cannot respect the whole meaning of the Olympics they should be forefeit from all events.
1:15 am
So much for the principled International Olympic Committee.
They invest more time and effort to erect a wall to satisfy the hateful Lebanese, but cannot bring themselves to invest one minute of silence to honour the murdered Israeli in the Munich Olympics.
That’s one for Moslem Lebanese, and zero for Jewish Israelis.
They are to be pitied, both the IOC and the Lebanese.
JJ
12:17 am
I’m not sure if this is an act of anti-Israel bigotry or just not wanting an opponent to be able to scout your team up close. If it’s the latter, it makes sense. If the former, then the whole kerfuffle about the Greek triple-jumper’s racist tweet not “following Olympic ideals” was a bunch of baloney.
12:14 am
IOC should have just told the Lebanese, “Fine, don’t practice.”
Things like this keep reminding me why I really don’t care about the Olympics.
12:13 am
The Lebanese Judo team needs to be kicked out of the Olympics. This kind of atrocious behavior is common among the people of the middle east.
Here is an Egyptian celebrity who is pranked by other Egyptians into thinking he is on a Jewish TV channel. What happens next is one of the most disturbing and sickening things I’ve ever seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13jhKI0gems&t=3m04s
10:24 pm
Interesting that the IOC granted the Lebanese team’s request; I thought they didn’t get involved in political disputes (so they said when they would not grant a moment of silence for the Israeli athletes murdered at Munich in 1972). so much for consistency.
8:40 pm
I was just in communication with several American Jewish liberals. Unfortunately, they cannot recognize the depth of hatred against Jews (not Israelis but all Jews). Again, unfortunately experiences such as this do not serve as a wake-up call to them.
8:34 pm
Social anti-semitism alive, well
and pandered to at the Olympics?
7:19 pm
let them stay in sands dunes
6:41 pm
Interesting,just before the games begin, the IOC bends to kiss the behinds of the Lebanese.G-d forbid the IOC were to insult the Arab nations,but it is OK to spit in the face of the Israelis (Jews).
Yes, I guess I missed something when the rules were made. The Lebanese team and a y other teams should be sent back to where they came from. Enough of this “the games are no place for political displays”. Please don’t insult my intelligence.
Phil Fink
Executive Director
Olam Brodcasting, Inc,
Cleveland OH
11:34 am
How about, if the Lebanese cannot adhere to the ancient neutrality of the games, they just stay home!
11:34 am
How about, if the Lebanese cannot adhere to the ancient neutrality of the games, they just stay home!
10:54 am
Quite interesting since Israel is officially a European country when it comes to international football tournaments such as the World Cup and the European Cup.
10:42 am
Sounds to me like an apartheid fence !
10:22 am
In a right and just world, the OIC would have told the Lebanese team to hit the road. Be gone.
10:06 am
b”H
Well, if the opening ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 on Friday – today, Erev Shabbos, hopefully neither tonight nor tomorrow during the day there will be any Yidden to be seen there anyway. Fasting they should be on Motzai Shabbos and Yom Rishon. If some of them jump around in the afternoon of Yom Rishon while still fasting, that may be ok.
Gut Shabbos. May Tisha b’Av be a holiday !
9:45 am
The Olympics should encourage sports spirit and world harmony. The Lebanese Judo team lost direction by making this demand and the organizers forgot their place as being responsible to make sure this spirit is kept.