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International Judo Federation Launches Investigation After Israeli Judokas Get Snubbed at Paris Olympics
An injured Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan being escorted off the mat after his match with Hifumi Abe of Japan at the Paris Olympic Games on July 28, 2024. Photo: Reuters/Arlette Bashizi
The International Judo Federation (IJF) said on Monday that it launched an investigation into an incident that happened a day earlier at the Paris Olympics with an Algerian judoka who was hailed for being unable to compete against an Israeli opponent, the same day that another Israeli judoka was snubbed at the Olympic Games by his competitor from Tajikistan.
Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris was disqualified from competing in an under 73 kg bout against Israel’s Tohar Butbul after he failed the official weigh-in on Sunday. The IJF said Dris arrived for the weigh-in session on Sunday 10 minutes before the deadline and was overweight by 400 grams, which made him ineligible to compete against Butbul in a match that was scheduled for Monday.
Algeria does not formally recognize the state of Israel and this is the second straight Olympics where an Algerian judoka voluntarily withdrew or was pulled out of the Olympic Games right before facing an opponent from Israel. There is speculation that Dris wanted to be pulled from the competition to avoid competing against an Israeli opponent, especially after Algerian media and a sponsor of the Algerian Olympic delegation praised Dris for not competing against Butbul, according to Reuters. The head of Israel’s Olympic Committee, Yael Arad, called Dris’ behavior a “disgrace” and called for the Algerian delegation to be penalized. The IJF said it will investigate the matter.
“Following the Olympic Games, a full review and investigation of the situation will be conducted and further action will be taken if needed,” the IJF said in the statement. “The IJF firmly upholds the principles of fair play, the Olympic spirit, and non-discrimination. We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts. Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport.”
On Monday, Butbul showed up for his scheduled bout against Dris at the Champs de Mars Arena, stepped on the mat, and did the customary dojo bowing to where his opponent should have been standing, before leaving to prepare for another match.
Also on Sunday, Tajikistani judoka Nurali Emomali, 22, refused to shake hands with his Israeli counterpart Baruch Shmailov, 29, in round 16 of the men’s under 66 kg competition judo competition at the Paris Olympics. Emomali won the match and instead of shaking hands with Shmailov, which is customary to do at the end of a bout, he walked off the mat saying “Allah Akbar,” which is Arabic for “God is great.” Emomali also held up a raised index finger known as the “Finger of Tawheed,” which refers to the Islamic belief that “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet.”
Emomali won the match 1-0. However, his luck turned shortly after when he competed against Japanese Olympian Abe Hifumi in the 21st round, which was also the quarterfinals of the men’s under 66 kg competition. At the end of the match, Hifumi, 26, slammed Emomali to the ground and during the brutal fall, Emomali severely dislocated his shoulder. Hifumi won the bout 10-0.
Meanwhile, Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian National Olympic Committee, told The Guardian that he will not shake hands with any member of Israel’s Olympic delegation at the Paris Games unless they recognize Palestinians and their right to independence.
“Before you ask me, ask them: do they recognize the very existence of the Palestinian people and our right to an independent state, next to Israel, according to UN legitimacy?” Rajoub said. “If they have this commitment, as a matter of principle I have no problem shaking hands with anyone who is recognizing my right to self-determination and our right to existence. But I will not shake hands as lip service with anyone who does not. It isn’t a matter of courtesy, it’s a matter of principle. They would have to be ready to fight to build bridges of peace by mutual recognition.”
Rajoub has called for Israeli athletes to be banned from international competitions and the Olympics because of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the country’s ongoing war against Hamas terrorists responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel. The Palestinian delegation for the Olympic Games in Paris is comprised of eight athletes, one of whom wore to the opening ceremony on Friday a shirt that depicted airplanes dropping bombs onto civilians — an apparent nod to the Israel-Hamas war.
Rajoub said he and the Palestinian Olympic delegation will adhere to the International Olympic Committee’s code of conduct during their time in Paris, but “if we feel that there is any violation from our side, we have to fight against it,” he further told The Guardian. “The ball is in the other side’s court. Go and ask the president of the Israeli national Olympic committee how they can encourage their soldiers, how their judo champion can do this,” he added. “Don’t ask the victim, ask the criminal.”
Rajoub was referring to Peter Paltchik, an Israeli judoka and one of Israel’s flag bearers for the Olympic opening ceremony. After the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, Paltchik shared on social media a photo of several missiles that were signed with messages — including one that compared Hamas to the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization and also said “Ippon,” which is the highest score achievable in judo and immediately ends a match. Paltchik wrote in the caption of the photo, “From me to you with pleasure #HamasisISIS #IsraelAtWar.”
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Pro-Hamas Group at New York University Promotes ‘Armed Struggle’ in New Statement
Illustrative: New York University students stage a protest in Washington Square Park in Manhattan to oppose Israel and call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 25, 2023. Photo: Gordon Donovan/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect
A pro-Hamas student group operating at New York University has reiterated its support for political violence and terrorism after being censured by the school, heightening concerns that the new academic year will see escalations of extremist activity on the campus.
“Decolonization and abolition are not metaphors. We uphold the right of any oppressed people to resist their oppression, by any means necessary,” the group, which calls itself NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition (NYU PSC), said in a “Statement of Intention.” “Resistance takes many forms, including armed struggle … As members of the NYU PSC, we will not condemn the brave actions of our allies nor will we limit ourselves to resistance through organizational means.”
Upon learning of the statement, long-time New York University spokesman John Beckman denounced political violence and implored the group remove its statement from social media.
“This university has zero tolerance for the use of violence, and is shocked that any members of our campus community would endorse ‘armed struggle’ as a ‘tactic,’” Beckman said. “We call upon the People’s Solidarity Coalition to immediately retract their statement and repudiate it, as well as related conduct such as vandalism, destruction of property, and threats and intimidation.”
He added, “Just to be crystal clear: NYU will respond to any threat or use of violence swiftly, decisively, and severely. Any violence will result in the immediate involvement of law enforcement as well as university disciplinary processes up to an including expulsion or dismissal.”
NYU PSC reportedly heeded Beckman’s counsel but then rejected it, reposting the statement in its entirety, according to American Council of Trustees (ACTA) researcher Steve McGuire.
Pro-Hamas student groups on college campuses have been proclaiming support for violence against Israel — and in some cases against Jews — since they began staging anti-Zionist demonstrations after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel.
In May, a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at Columbia University endorsed Hamas, heralding the terrorist group as “the only force materially fighting back against” Israel. And then just weeks ago, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP) called its actions on campus an “intifada” and vowed to pick up next academic year where it left off the last — roiling the campus with illegal occupations of school property and harassing Jewish students who support Israel.
Earlier this month, a coalition of anti-Zionist groups at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee issued an open threat against pro-Israel Jewish students and organizations, promising to treat them as “extremist criminals.”
“We will no longer normalize genocidal extremists walking on our campus,” the group, which calls itself UWM Popular University for Palestine, posted on Instagram. “Any organization or entity that supports Israel is not welcome at UWM. This includes the local extremist groups such as Hillel, Jewish Federation, etc.”
Reiterating its first point, the group continued, “We refuse to normalize extremists and extremist groups walking around our campus. We are watching Israel’s legitimacy and international recognition fall to pieces on the world stage. Any organization that has not separated themselves from Israel will be treated accordingly as extremist criminals. Stay tuned.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post Pro-Hamas Group at New York University Promotes ‘Armed Struggle’ in New Statement first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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White House Blames Hezbollah for Deadly Majdal Shams Rocket Attack, Reaffirms ‘Ironclad’ Support for Israel
A person mourns as he embraces the picture of his loved one killed at a soccer pitch by a rocket Israel says was fired from Lebanon, in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Golan Heights, July 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
The White House has condemned the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah for a rocket attack on Majdal Shams over the weekend that killed 12 children, reaffirming its “ironclad” support for Israel’s security.
“We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the horrific attack yesterday in northern Israel that killed a number of children playing soccer,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. “This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah. It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned.”
On Saturday, Hezbollah struck a soccer field in Majdal Shams, a small Druze town in the Golan Heights, a strategic region on Israel’s northern border previously controlled by Syria. The attack killed 12 children.
Majdal Shams is located at the foot of Mount Hermon, directly in the line of fire from the rocket launch site in Shebaa in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the strike when it emerged that the victims of the attack were Arab Druze children, although the rocket that hit Majdal Shams was the same one the terrorist group claimed responsibility for firing at the Hermon region at 7:30 pm local time.
Both the US and Israel have also said that Hezbollah was responsible for the strike.
“Hezbollah started firing on Israel on Oct. 8, claiming solidarity with Hamas, another Iranian-backed terrorist group,” the White House said in its statement, noting how Hezbollah terrorists have been firing rockets at northern Israel daily from southern Lebanon since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. “Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah. The United States is also working on a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line that will end all attacks once and for all, and allow citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes.”
More than 80,000 Israelis evacuated Israel’s north in October due to constant drone, rocket, and missile fire from Hezbollah and have since been unable to return to their homes. The majority of those spent the past nine months residing in hotels in safer areas of the country.
Members of the Druze community have vowed to avenge the strike on Majdal Shams. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly stated on Monday that Israel’s response to the attack “will be severe.”
“These children are our children, they are the children of all of us,” Netanyahu said. “The State of Israel will not and cannot put this to rest. Our response will come, and it will be severe.”
The Biden administration has urged Israel not target the Lebanese capital of Beirut in response to the Saturday strike. The White House fears that Israel’s retaliation could lead to an escalation in the conflict, resulting in a broader war breaking out across the Middle East.
US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein reportedly warned the Jewish state to be careful in its response to Hezbollah.
“We definitely think an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] strike on Beirut is a potential red line for Hezbollah,” a US official told Axios.
Hezbollah wields significant political and military influence across Lebanon.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday to express condolences for the weekend strike and urged Israel to exercise caution in its response.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that during their discussion, Blinken “emphasized the importance of preventing escalation of the conflict and discussed efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to allow citizens on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon to return home.”
“The secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iranian-backed terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah,” Miller added, echoing the White House statement.
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Estonian summer camp removes names of Nazi SS leaders from monument after Jewish group objects
The monument had the names of four Estonian leaders of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
The post Estonian summer camp removes names of Nazi SS leaders from monument after Jewish group objects appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.