In the Olympic football match between France and Mali, the tension between Palestinians and Israelis emerged. According to a report by The Finnish Broadcasting company Yle, it was mainly about pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the reactions of Israelis to them. However, direct violence was avoided.
The report mentioned - once again - that "due to the Gaza war, some countries participating in the games have demanded the exclusion of Israel from the Olympic movement. This has not happened, which has raised the security threat towards the games."
This demand is peculiar because the current events in Gaza were triggered by an exceptionally brutal terrorist attack carried out by Palestinians, during which a large number of hostages were taken. And Israel's actions are specifically a response to this.
Thus, the first step towards calming the situation in Gaza should come from the Palestinians, more specifically their terrorist organization Hamas. In practice, this would mean the release of all hostages and the return of the bodies of any individuals who may have died in their hands.
From this perspective, everyone can of course draw their own conclusions about which party should be excluded from the games if such action were to be taken. Israel, which has gone to war as a result of terrorism, or - likewise participating in the games - Palestine, which has not clearly distanced itself from Hamas, but whose administration has even sought reconciliation with it?
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
According to the Israeli army, Hamas cannot be defeated
Two out of three Palestinians support October 7 attack
University of Helsinki gained an anti-Semitic reputation
