The world is gearing up for the 2024 Summer Olympics as the July 26 opening ceremony in Paris, France, approaches.
Athletes from Israel, however, are facing increasingly violent threats and will receive additional security from armed Shin Bet agents.
Israel’s minister of culture and sport, Miki Zohar, told The Telegraph, “We know there are threats (against the team) but we don’t want to talk about it.”
“We try our best to make sure the athletes feel free but also safe and not afraid. We don’t want them to notice the security guards too much. We want them to feel confident so they can do their job,” he said.
The increased security stems from very public anti-Israel protests in Paris as well as specific, violent online threats directed at the athletes.
According to The Jerusalem Post:
Walla reported that, over the weekend, Israeli athletes received online messages written in poor Hebrew. Many also received calls from foreign numbers. On Thursday and Friday, 15 athletes and their teams received identical death threats via email, warning them they would be killed if they arrived in France, Walla reported.
The anonymous email said that the sender intended to harm “any Israeli presence at the Olympics” and said that if any Israeli delegates attended, they would be harmed.
The email also referenced the Munich 1972 Olympics, telling the athletes to “Prepare for the intifada!”
During the “Munich Massacre,” eight Palestinian Liberation Organization terrorists breached the Olympic Village at the ’72 Summer Games and entered an apartment complex housing Israeli athletes.
The terrorists murdered two members of the Israeli team in the Village before taking nine others hostage and demanding the release of 234 Arab prisoners from Israeli jails.
After a 23-hour standoff, all of the hostages were killed.
In the lead-up to the games, pro-Hamas protestors have flooded Paris, demanding Israel be banned from participating.
Palestine supporters flock to Paris streets demanding to ban Israel from Olympics pic.twitter.com/PkQ6A0YVu3
— RT (@RT_com) July 21, 2024
El Al Airlines released a moving video of support for the athletes as they head to Paris.
A moving commercial by El Al Airlines reassuring that #Israel and its athletes are never alone, as we gear up for the 2024 #Paris Olympic and #Paralympic games! Am Yisrael Chai! Video: elalisrael pic.twitter.com/t1DY1lvEJw
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) July 17, 2024
