- The Israeli men’s national football team will face Mali on Wednesday at the Olympic Games in Paris
- According to reports, pro-Palestine activists are planning a protest at the match
According to reports, pro-Palestine activists are planning to protest when the Israel men’s national football team plays Mali on Wednesday night at the Paris Olympics.
The match will take place at the Parc des Princes, Susanne Shields of the French activist group Europalestine said. The guard that there will be a peaceful protest from the stands against the ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
Posters reading “No Olympics for Israel” have already been hung in Paris due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
However, Israeli athletes have been cleared to participate and their men’s soccer team will be their first representative at the Games.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is expected to attend the match. There is no specific threat to the match.
Posters reading ‘No Olympics for Israel’ have been hung all over Paris
Pro-Palestine campaigners are reportedly planning to stage a protest when the Israel men’s national football team (pictured) plays on Wednesday night
Israel will be the only country to have 24-hour protection during the Games, and they have sent their own security team to Paris
Mail Sport revealed on Sunday that Israel has sent secret agents to guard its athletes in Paris amid growing threats of anti-Semitic violence across Europe.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, confirmed that Israel has sent its own security team to France, a task it has been doing since the killing of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
“The Israeli athletes have always taken their own extra security measures since 1972, and they have done so this time as well and they are comfortable with this situation,” Bach said.
Israel is also the only country with 24-hour security by French police units and a ‘search and intervention brigade’ will be present at Wednesday night’s match.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will attend the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday, where a commemoration ceremony will be held to mark the 52nd anniversary of the Munich massacre.
Adidas faced fierce criticism last week after it chose pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid to front a revamped line of sneakers, which were first worn at the 1972 Olympics, during which 11 Israelis were killed.
After the outrage, they subsequently dropped Hadid from their advertising campaign.
Athletes from Israel will take part in the parade along the Seine on Friday evening during the opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, eight Palestinian athletes will compete in Paris, expected to arrive in the city on Wednesday morning.