The opening ceremony of the Olympics will take place in five days. Amid Paris' heightened alertness, Israeli athletes who are planning to take part in the Olympic Games continue to receive death threats. The Shin Bet sent a considerable number of bodyguards to secure the Israeli team.
5 View gallery
Peter Palchik will be Israel's flag bearer in the opening ceremony
(Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP)
On Saturday, the Israeli team's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, judoka Peter Paltchik, and swimmer Meiron Cheruti received an email with an "invitation" to their own funerals, accompanied by threatening messages, just before they landed in Paris. "You are welcome to attend the funeral of Meiron Amir Cheruti, born on 19/10/1997, died on 27/07/2024," read the daunting message, sent along with a location of the "funeral."
The trend of death threats to Israeli athletes has been going on for some time, with additional athletes receiving threatening messages before they arrive in Paris to participate in the Olympics. After security checks, it was confirmed that these messages were sent by bots and not from an organized group or team threatening the members of the Israeli delegation. Another message read: "The fate of the Zionists will be like that of the Palestinians in Gaza if the Zionists continue to terrorize everyone."
Additional messages threatened to "recreate" the horrors of the 1972 Munich Olympics if the Israeli delegation arrived in Paris. "Be prepared for impact at any moment, at the airport, in the hotel, and on the street. Even the wave of arrests against members of our organization will not prevent us from carrying out our plans, nor will it save you. Prepare for an intifada."
The Olympic Committee stated in response on Saturday that "the Israeli delegation to the Olympic Games is well-prepared. We are aware of the sensitivity these days and in general, and therefore operate professionally and according to the guideline along with all necessary security arrangements."
5 View gallery
France deploys tens of thousands of security personnel
(Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
"Indeed, some delegation representatives received emails in recent days. The matter has been transferred to the appropriate authorities. The more they operate in unsportsmanlike and unacceptable ways, the more motivated and stronger the Israeli delegation will arrive," according to the committee.
'Operation Paris': Shin Bet is also ready
For the first time in the country's history, Israel will take part in the Olympic Games while actively fighting on multiple fronts, hence the heightened sensitivity. The Israeli athletes will be the most secure delegation in France, with a record number of Shin Bet security personnel. This operation required the highest budget ever allocated for the security needs of Israeli sporting events abroad, including technological means never used before in such events.
The Sports and Culture Ministry is responsible for the security budget of the Israeli delegations. Compared to the security budget in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics which totaled 4.3 million shekels, Minister Miki Zohar allocated more than 7 million shekels for the Paris Olympics' security detail.
As part of the decision to make the Olympic Games accessible to as many spectators as possible, some of the games will be held in public places such as under the Eiffel Tower. This will challenge the Shin Bet and require the security detail to think creatively. The opening ceremony on the Seine River with the presentation of delegations on boats passing under various bridges in the city will also prove to be a security challenge. The Israeli Olympic Committee is in daily contact with its Israeli and French partners to ensure the team's safety.
The Israeli delegation received strict security guidelines throughout their participation in the Paris Olympics. They were instructed not to stay more than 48 hours in the Olympic Village after their competition, and to return immediately to Israel due to the high security risks. Israeli flags will not be removed from the uniforms, and the delegation received explicit instructions not to instigate or be affected by any provocation from athletes or the audience.