IOC warns athletes and officials against discrimination against Israelis

The International Olympic Committee said it would take action against athletes or officials who discriminate against Israeli representatives, dpa reports, citing an IOC representative.

The organization said that “athletes cannot be held responsible for the actions of their governments.”

“Where discriminatory behavior by an athlete or official occurs, the IOC will work with the relevant National Olympic Committee and International Federation to ensure prompt action is taken.”says the statement.

At the same time, representatives of the organization did not agree with the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin about ethnic discrimination against Russians. Earlier, he expressed outrage at the actions of the IOC, which considers an invitation to the Olympics not a right, but a privilege.

Let us recall that in 2023, the IOC allowed athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus to participate in international competitions only if the special operation in Ukraine was condemned.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented that the committee’s recommendation is xenophobic and nationalistic, and also noted that discriminatory tactics can extend to other areas of life.

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that Russia will maintain relations with the IOC to defend the interests of Russian athletes.