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Despite a Terrible War, Israel Had a Record-Breaking Olympics
Paris 2024 Olympics – Sailing – Men’s Windsurfing Final – Marseille Marina, Marseille, France – August 03, 2024. Tom Reuveni of Israel celebrates after winning gold. Photo: Reuters/Andrew Boyers
The Paris Olympics are over, and Israel has triumphed.
In the most difficult circumstances imaginable, the Israeli athletes responded with their best ever Olympics, winning seven medals — one gold, five silver, and one bronze.
By contrast, India, which has over one billion people, only won six medals. Israel is a country of less than 10 million.
The medals came in sailing, judo, and gymnastics, proving once again that they are Israel’s most successful Olympic sports. All but two of the 20 medals Israel has ever won have come in these three sports.
Israel had a very slow start, but that all changed on Day Six. Peter Paltchik got the ball rolling when he won bronze in judo, and was very lucky to do so. With just seconds remaining in his contest and him ahead, he tried to avoid an attack from his opponent and was adjudged to receive a third shido, which would result in a disqualification. He pleaded with the referees to rescind it, and thankfully they did.
Following that, Inbar Lanir participated in Israel’s first Olympic Judo final in 32 years. But Israel made it to another judo final the very next day, when Raz Hershko advanced to the gold medal contest. Unfortunately, both were outplayed in their finals, but this shouldn’t take anything away from their incredible achievements.
On Day Seven, Israel won three medals in a single day.
Sharon Kantor became Israel’s first-ever female sailing medalist, when she won silver in windsurfing. Moments later, windsurfer Tom Reuveny won gold in the same event that his coach, Gal Fridman, won 20 years earlier in Athens. This was the first time Israel won gold medals at consecutive games.
Then Artem Dolgopyat became Israel’s most successful Olympian ever, when he won silver in gymnastics on the floor routine to go with the gold he won in Tokyo last time.
With the Olympics winding down, Israel won a seventh medal when the female rhythmic gymnastic group won silver in the all-around competition.
Archers Roy Dror and Mikaella Moshe both got knocked out in the first round. In the team event, they just missed out making the knockout rounds. Considering that Tokyo was the first Olympics Israel sent an archer to, the country is clearly making progress in this sport.
The artistic swimmers Shelly Bobritsky and Ariel Nassee finished 11th, which was Israel’s best ever result in the sport.
In the marathon, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter came ninth in the women’s, while Maru Teferi came in 26th, which was our best men’s finisher.
In his fourth Olympics, Misha Zilberman finished on a high in badminton. winning his final match. At the velodrome, Mikhail Yakovlev made the round of 16 in the sprint and the quarter finals in the keirin.
In the equestrian, Israel sent a jumping team for the second straight Olympics, where it made history by qualifying for the 10-team final for the first time.
Yuval Freilich was Israel’s first Olympic fencer since 2008. One loss in fencing means total elimination from the contest, and he lost a tough first round match by a score of 15-13.
In its first appearance since 1976, the men’s soccer team had a challenging tournament, finishing last in its group.
Artistic gymnast Lihie Raz finished 31st in the all-around event, and just missed out on making it to the final. In rhythmic gymnastics, Daria Atamanov qualified for the final where she finished fifth.
Anat Lelior qualified for the Round of 16 in surfing, which was a fantastic achievement.
Israel sent a record 18 swimmers to Paris, and made one final in the 4x200m men’s freestyle relay.
In taekwondo, Avishag Semberg entered with high hopes, but was eliminated in the first round, while in the triathlon, Shachar Sagiv finished 37th.
If these were regular times, these Olympics would be judged as a phenomenal success. Given the circumstances, it’s just remarkable if not incredible. Not only was stress high from the war, but Israeli and Jewish athletes were under serious threat from terror groups and antisemites. Luckily, no such incidents occurred.
Israeli athletes have set a high bar for the Los Angeles games, but it’s very likely they could set new records in the United States.
David Wiseman is the co-founder of Follow Team Israel, a page that shares the stories of Israeli sports to the world. You can find it on Facebook and Instagram. He is also the head of online reputation management at Buzzdealer.
The post Despite a Terrible War, Israel Had a Record-Breaking Olympics first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.