RSS
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.”
The post International Judo Federation Launches Investigation After Israeli Judokas Get Snubbed at Paris Olympics first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel to Send Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Ceasefire Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, reviving hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the almost 21-month war.
Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit,” a few days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.
The Israeli negotiation delegation will fly to Qatar on Sunday, the Israeli official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters.
But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement, and in their public statements Hamas and Israel remain far apart.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the terrorist group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss.
Israeli media said on Friday that Israel had received and was reviewing Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal.
The post Israel to Send Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Ceasefire Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Tucker Carlson Says to Air Interview with President of Iran
Tucker Carlson speaks on July 18, 2024 during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect
US conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson said in an online post on Saturday that he had conducted an interview with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which would air in the next day or two.
Carlson said the interview was conducted remotely through a translator, and would be published as soon as it was edited, which “should be in a day or two.”
Carlson said he had stuck to simple questions in the interview, such as, “What is your goal? Do you seek war with the United States? Do you seek war with Israel?”
“There are all kinds of questions that I didn’t ask the president of Iran, particularly questions to which I knew I could get an not get an honest answer, such as, ‘was your nuclear program totally disabled by the bombing campaign by the US government a week and a half ago?’” he said.
Carlson also said he had made a third request in the past several months to interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will be visiting Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump.
Trump said on Friday he would discuss Iran with Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
Trump said he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently by recent US strikes that followed Israel’s attacks on the country last month, although Iran could restart it at a different location.
Trump also said Iran had not agreed to inspections of its nuclear program or to give up enriching uranium. He said he would not allow Tehran to resume its nuclear program, adding that Iran did want to meet with him.
Pezeshkian said last month Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research.
The post Tucker Carlson Says to Air Interview with President of Iran first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages
Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron
i24 News – As Israeli leaders weigh the contours of a possible partial ceasefire deal with Hamas, the families of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza issued an impassioned public statement this weekend, condemning any agreement that would return only some of the abductees.
In a powerful message released Saturday, the Families Forum for the Return of Hostages denounced what they call the “beating system” and “cruel selection process,” which, they say, has left families trapped in unbearable uncertainty for 638 days—not knowing whether to hope for reunion or prepare for mourning.
The group warned that a phased or selective deal—rumored to be under discussion—would deepen their suffering and perpetuate injustice. Among the 50 hostages, 22 are believed to be alive, and 28 are presumed dead.
“Every family deserves answers and closure,” the Forum said. “Whether it is a return to embrace or a grave to mourn over—each is sacred.”
They accused the Israeli government of allowing political considerations to prevent a full agreement that could have brought all hostages—living and fallen—home long ago. “It is forbidden to conform to the dictates of Schindler-style lists,” the statement read, invoking a painful historical parallel.
“All of the abductees could have returned for rehabilitation or burial months ago, had the government chosen to act with courage.”
The call for a comprehensive deal comes just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for high-stakes talks in Washington and as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume in Doha within the next 24 hours, according to regional media reports.
Hamas, for its part, issued a statement Friday confirming its readiness to begin immediate negotiations on the implementation of a ceasefire and hostage release framework.
The Forum emphasized that every day in captivity poses a mortal risk to the living hostages, and for the deceased, a danger of being lost forever. “The horror of selection does not spare any of us,” the statement said. “Enough with the separation and categories that deepen the pain of the families.”
In a planned public address near Begin Gate in Tel Aviv, families are gathering Saturday evening to demand that the Israeli government accept a full-release deal—what they describe as the only “moral and Zionist” path forward.
“We will return. We will avenge,” the Forum concluded. “This is the time to complete the mission.”
As of now, the Israeli government has not formally responded to Hamas’s latest statement.
The post Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.