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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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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.
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Melbourne Police Investigate Wave of Antisemitic Attacks, Including Synagogue Arson
Illustrative. Vandals defaced the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in Australia on June 22, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
i24 News – A wave of antisemitic incidents across Melbourne is under urgent investigation by Victoria Police, after a synagogue was set alight, a Jewish-owned restaurant targeted by protesters, and a third attack saw multiple cars torched at a business in the city’s northeast.
The third incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. Saturday at a business on Para Road in Greensborough. Offenders set fire to three vehicles and sprayed graffiti on both the cars and a nearby building wall. One car was destroyed, and two others sustained moderate damage.
“There were references of antisemitism in the graffiti,” Dunstan confirmed, adding that the business had previously been linked to pro-Palestinian activism.
While police say no direct link between the three incidents has been established yet, they are not ruling out the possibility of coordination.
The attacks began Friday night, when a man was seen pouring a flammable liquid on the entrance of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and setting it alight around 8 p.m., while around 20 people were inside for Shabbat services. Worshipers quickly evacuated through the back, and the fire was contained to the front of the building. No injuries were reported.
Police have released an image of a suspect believed to be in his 30s, of Caucasian appearance, with a beard and long hair.
Just hours after the synagogue arson, a protest of around 70 people moved through Swanston Street before a smaller group gathered outside Miznon, a popular Jewish-owned restaurant in the CBD, chanting offensive slogans. One man was arrested and later released on summons for hindering police.
In response to the series of attacks, federal agencies including the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) have joined the investigation.
“This is disgraceful behavior by a pack of cowards,” said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. “Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate. Any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism. There should be no hesitation in calling this what it is.”
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Trump Says Iran Has Not Agreed to Inspections, Give Up Enrichment
US President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured), at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran had not agreed to inspections of its nuclear program or to give up enriching uranium.
He told reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently although Iran could restart it at a different location.
Trump said he would discuss Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the White House on Monday.
“I would say it’s set back permanently,” Trump said as he traveled to New Jersey after an Independence Day celebration at the White House. “I would think they’d have to start at a different location. And if they did start, it would be a problem.”
Trump said he would not allow Tehran to resume its nuclear program, adding that Iran did want to meet with him.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had pulled its last remaining inspectors from Iran as a standoff deepens over their return to the country’s nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel.
The U.S. and Israel say Iran was enriching uranium to build nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war with the Islamic Republic three weeks ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran’s facilities since then, even though IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said that is his top priority.
Iran’s parliament has passed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA until the safety of its nuclear facilities can be guaranteed. While the IAEA says Iran has not yet formally informed it of any suspension, it is unclear when the agency’s inspectors will be able to return to Iran.
Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31 that led to a resolution by the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
The US and Israeli military strikes either destroyed or badly damaged Iran’s three uranium enrichment sites. But it was less clear what has happened to much of Iran’s nine tons of enriched uranium, especially the more than 400 kg (880 pounds) enriched to up to 60% purity, a short step from weapons grade.
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