A French MP has sparked a huge row just days before the start of the Olympics after saying Israeli athletes are not welcome in Paris.
Thomas Portes, a lawmaker for far-left party France Unbowed (LFI), made his controversial comments at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday.
‘I am here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris,’ he said. ‘Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris.’
The 38-year-old claimed that competitors representing Israel should have to compete under a neutral flag because of the ongoing war in Gaza.
It comes after the International Olympic Committee announced Russian and Belarussian athletes will only be allowed to take part without any national ties – and cannot attend the opening ceremony – because of the conflict in Ukraine.
Mr Portes added: ‘France’s diplomats should pressure the International Olympic Committee to bar the Israeli flag and anthem, as is done for Russia.
‘It’s time to end the double standard.’
His comments were met with widespread backlash and criticism from the Jewish community.
Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, slammed Mr Portes as being ‘irresponsible’.
He wrote on X: ‘Indecency of Thomas Portes! ‘1972: 11 Israeli athletes are murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Olympics.
‘2024: LFI calls for the exclusion of Israeli athletes from the Paris Olympics. Since October 7, Thomas Portes has legitimized Hamas.
‘He now puts a target on the backs of Israeli athletes, already the most threatened in the Olympic Games. Irresponsible.’
Almost 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war escalated in October last year, according the territory’s health ministry.
Israel responded with a heavy counterattack after Hamas militants launched an assault, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.
But Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes in Gaza, killing thousands of women and children in a barrage which has led to a humanitarian crisis.
Homes, schools, hospitals and places of worship have been flattened and the majority of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been made homeless.
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Aurelien Le Coq, a fellow LFI party member of Mr Portes, supported his colleague, claiming that ‘genocide is still ongoing in Gaza’.
‘Nearly 40,000 people died,’ he wrote on X. ‘The few to denounce it and demand sanctions are the target of the far right. Support @Portes_Thomas. Russian athletes parade under neutral banner. Why not the Israelis?’
Around 45,000 security personnel will be manning the French capital for the Olympics, which gets under way on Friday evening.
Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, said yesterday: ‘We can absolutely guarantee that security was the priority for Paris 2024 and from this base we built the concept of celebration.’
Last week, there was also controversy over a convicted child sex offender competing at the Olympics who has decided to steer clear of the athletes’ village.
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