Anti-Semitism In Rio: Israeli Olympic Team Competing With Hate

Nearly 45 years after 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics, anti-Semitism toward the Jewish State still rears it ugly head at the largest international sports competition. While, thank God, the hatred of the Jews by their muslim opponents has not led to acts of terror at the Games since ’72, still the venomous hatred toward Israel never dies. The Anti-Defamation League released a statement after recent racist acts against the Israeli Olympic Team, saying, “These days, anti-Israel vio­lence at the Olympics has been replaced by anti-Israel politics, with representatives from countries hostile to the Jewish State going to great lengths to avoid any interaction with Israeli athletes.” If it was just one incident, we could attribute it to one hateful soul, but sadly since the start of the RIO Olympics last weekend, there have been numerous acts of anti-Semitism against the Israeli delegation.

The string of anti-Israel incidents began 2 days before the Opening Ceremonies, as Facebook omitted the Israeli flag on it’s Olympics page last Wednesday. After a complaint by the Olympic Committee of Israel, the flag was finally added Thursday night. No other country’s flags were left out. So, a “technical issue” or an “overlooked mistake” are not valid excuses. It was obvious and blatant rejection of Israel by the anti-Israel social media platform. I’ve raised this issue for years, but because Mark Zuckerberg (the founder and CEO of Facebook) is Jewish, he gets away with anti-Israel bigotry. Many secular Jews oppose Biblical beliefs, so Zuckerberg opposing Israel is not out of the ordinary. He is what us Holy Bible believers refer to as a “Jew in name only”, like the uber-liberal politician Bernie Sanders. After news broke of Facebook leaving Israel out of it’s list of nations, it released the following statement:

“We experienced a short-lived ‘technical issue’ that prevented the Olympic profile frames for some countries from being displayed correctly in the profile picture selection menu.” This is a false statement. “Some countries” were not omitted, only ISRAEL was.

As the Games officially began last week, so too began the blatant acts of disrespect, hostility, hatred and downright anti-Semitism against the Israelis by teams from Islamic nations. On August 5th, the Team from Lebanon refused to share a bus with the Israelis, which took the athletes to the opening ceremony, even though they had been designated to share the bus. When the bus driver opened the door, the head of the Lebanese delegation blocked the aisle and entrance. The Olympic organizers, choosing to avoid an international and physical incident, sent the Israelis away to a different bus. Many around the world were enraged by this event.

Miri Regev, the Israeli minister of culture and sports, blasted the Lebanese incident as “anti-Semitism, pure and simple, and the worst kind of racism.” The Lebanese delegation head who blocked the Israelis from entering the bus, Saleem al-Haj Nacoula, was reportedly hailed in Islamic Lebanon as a “hero”. He said in a statement, “I was surprised to see the Israeli delegation approaching and trying to get on. I told the bus driver to close the door, but a trainer who was with the Israelis prevented him from doing so. I had to physically block him and the rest of the delegation from boarding.” While an act like this is not an act of terror or murder against Jews like in 1972, it is just as abhorrent that this kind of racism is cheered by some and that Jews are still treated as a non-existent people. This Lebanese delegation might as well put swastikas on their Olympic team uniforms. Imagine the media uproar if any other Olympic team would have refused to share a bus with an all black delegation. Why is it acceptable when it’s the Jews?!?

Sadly, the anti-Semitism continued two days later. Saudi Arabian judoka Joud Fahmy forfeited her first-round match in order to avoid facing Israel’s Gili Cohen in the second round. It is disgracefully common amongst most Islamic athletes to refuse to compete against Israelis. In June, Syrian boxer Ala Ghasoun refused to participate in an Olympic qualifying match against an Israeli. During the 2012 London Olympics, Iranian judo champion Javad Mahjoud withdrew from a match against Israeli Arik Ze’evi. When the Muslim athletes actually do compete against the Jewish State, we witness disgusting unsportsmanlike actions, like what occurred today in a Judo match.

An Egyptian judo fighter refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent after their match earlier today, which brought boos from many in the audience. Or Sasson of Israel defeated Islam El Shehaby of Egypt in a first-round match in the heaviest weight class. Shehaby had been reportedly pressured by his fans not to show up for the scheduled fight with his Israeli opponent because it would “shame Islam”, but he decided to go through with the match. After Sasson defeated Shehaby and the two retook their places in front of the referee, Sasson bowed and approached Shehaby to shake his hand but the Egyptian backed away.

Unfortunately we will most likely see more anti-Semitic acts against Israel as the Olympic Games continue, but we need to get the word out about this modern day Nazi attitude toward Jews by the Muslims. It has gone unchecked for too long. If we don’t speak up about it brothers and sisters, WHO WILL? It really irritates me when I hear Muslims crying in the media about Islamophobia, and about prejudice and discrimination. These same people glorify Adolf Hitler, pray for a second holocaust of the Jewish people in Israel, and spread hatred and calls for violence against Jews DAILY. Sorry that I refuse to be tolerant and accepting of a religion that calls for the extinction of the Jewish people! Until Muslims start being more tolerant toward the Jews and Israel, I refuse to be tolerant toward their beloved Islam.

If you discriminate against the Jews, you might as well discriminate against me. If you hate the Jews, then you hate me. If you want war with the Jews and Israel, then you will have war WITH ME. This should be the battlecry of every Holy Bible believing Christian across the world. When anyone messes with our God’s Chosen people and Nation, they mess with us. ANTI-SEMITISM MUST STOP WITH US. This can’t just be a tough-sounding slogan friends, it must become our way of life! To end this Israeli Olympic-themed article on a good note, Judo fighter Yarden Gerbi took home the Bronze Medal this week, making her Israel’s first Olympic medal winner since 2008! Just today, Or Sasson took home a Bronze in Men’s Judo as well. Go Team ISRAEL!!!

“And GOD said.. I will BLESS them that bless YOU (Jews), and CURSE him that curses YOU: and in Abraham’s SEED (Israel) shall ALL families of the earth be BLESSED” ~ Genesis 12:3

“But you, ISRAEL, are MY servant, JACOB whom I have CHOSEN, the SEED of Abraham my friend, saith The LORD God.” ~ Isaiah 41:8

“For ISRAEL, you are an HOLY people unto The LORD your God, and The LORD has CHOSEN you to be a SPECIAL people unto Himself, ABOVE ALL the Nations that are upon the earth.” ~ Deuteronomy 14:2

“O you SEED OF ISRAEL (Jews) The LORD’S servant, you children of Jacob, His CHOSEN ones.” ~ 1st Chronicles 16:13

“For The LORD has CHOSEN Zion (Israel); He has DESIRED IT for His HABITATION.” ~ Psalm 132:13

“For The LORD has CHOSEN Jacob unto Himself, and ISRAEL for His special TREASURE.” ~ Psalm 135:4

“TURN TO ME, O backsliding children of ISRAEL, saith The LORD; for I Am MARRIED unto you.” ~ Jeremiah 3:14

“.. In the day that the ENEMIES of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (it was TURNED to the contrary, that the JEWS HAD RULE over them that HATED THEM;)” ~ Esther 9:1

“But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that Haman’s WICKED device, which he devised AGAINST the Jews, should RETURN upon his OWN head, and that he AND his sons should be HANGED on the gallows (which he had PREPARED for the JEWS).” ~ Esther 9:25

“Thus saith The LORD of hosts; In those days it SHALL come to pass, that ten men shall.. out of all languages of the nations, TAKE HOLD of the garment of him that is A JEW, saying, We will go WITH YOU: for we have HEARD that God is WITH YOU.” ~ Zechariah 8:23

“And JESUS said, YOU worship what you KNOW NOT: we KNOW what WE worship: for SALVATION is of the JEWS.” ~ John 4:22

“.. SATAN stood up AGAINST Israel.” ~ 1st Chronicles 21:1