Paris 2024 Olympics: “He is now putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes”, Crif denounces the comments of LFI MP Thomas Portes

The France Insoumise MP caused controversy. MAXPPP – Alexis Sciard

The president of Crif Yonathan Arfi described Sunday as "irresponsible" the attitude of Insoumis MP Thomas Portes, who estimated on Saturday that "Israeli athletes were not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games" and called for "mobilization".

"Since October 7, Thomas Portes has legitimized Hamas. He now puts a target on the backs of Israeli athletes, already the most threatened in the Olympic Games", the Crif president denounced on X, recalling that at the Munich Olympics in 1972 eleven Israelis had “been murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

He was reacting to comments made by Thomas Portes in Paris during a rally in support of the Palestinian people, a few days before the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday and the football match that Israel will play on Wednesday at the Parc of Princes against Mali.

"Ending double standards"

"No, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris", said the MP for Seine-St-Senis, calling for the use of " the deadline" of the Olympics and "all the levers we have to create mobilizations".

After the wave of indignation he aroused, the MP returned to his comments on Sunday on the website of Parisien, believing that he is defending a "clear and constant" position of the Insoumis.

Indécence de Thomas Portes !

1972 : 11 athlètes israéliens sont assassinés par des terroristes palestiniens aux JO de Munich.

2024 : LFI demande l'exclusion des athlètes israéliens des JO de Paris.

Depuis le 7 octobre, Thomas Portes légitime le Hamas. Il met maintenant une… pic.twitter.com/1YwR7aUWmn

— Yonathan Arfi (@Yonathan_Arfi) July 20, 2024

"I consider that French diplomacy must put pressure on the IOC so that the Israeli flag and anthem are not admitted during these Olympic Games as this is done for Russia", he affirmed, believing that it "must put an end to double standards measurements".

"Israeli athletes are obviously welcome in Paris"

Mr. Portes' statements caused controversy on social networks. Former PS deputy Julien Dray described him as an incendiary , while the former -MP LR Meyer Habib, defeated in the recent legislative elections, denounced LFI as "an anti-Semitic party".

"Israeli athletes are obviously welcome in Paris like all athletes in the world. Not for what they are but for what they do", said, for his part, PS deputy Jérôme Guedj.

On the LFI side, elected officials gave their support to Thomas Portes, like MP Aymeric Caron, who denounced a controversy "unworthy&amp ;quot;, ruling that "the Israeli flag, stained with the blood of the innocents of Gaza, should not fly in Paris this summer".