A judo competitor from Tajikistan faced instant ‘karma’ after refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent at the Olympics on Sunday. Nurali Emomali, representing Tajikistan, declined the customary post-match handshake with Israel’s Baruch Shmailov after their bout. This incident comes amid ongoing protests against Israel’s presence at the Paris Games, following Israel’s offensive in Gaza last year.
Despite firm support from Olympic officials and the French government for Israel’s right to participate, Israeli athletes have encountered protests. Earlier in the day, Morocco’s Abderrahmane Boushita also refused to shake hands with Shmailov.
Emomali’s refusal to acknowledge Shmailov was allegedly accompanied by him yelling ‘Allah Akbar.’ However, in his subsequent match against Japan’s Hifumi Abe, Emomali suffered a severe injury. As he tried to break his fall, he badly injured his left arm, resulting in what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder, leaving him in tears on the mat. Viewers quickly took to social media to comment on the ‘instant karma’ that had befallen Emomali.
The incident with Emomali was not the only controversy surrounding Israeli athletes at the Games. Earlier on Sunday, French police launched an investigation into death threats received by three Israeli athletes. Anti-cybercrime officers are also investigating the release of personal data of these athletes on social media, aiming to have it removed.
Israel’s National Cyber Directorate reported that Iranian hackers had been creating social media channels to publish personal information about Israeli athletes and send them threatening messages. On the same day, Israel’s foreign minister warned his French counterpart of a potential Iranian-backed plot to target Israeli athletes and tourists during the Paris Olympic Games.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations responded, stating: “Terrorist acts have no place in the principles of resistance groups; lies and deceit cannot switch the roles of the plaintiff and the accused.”
To ensure their safety, Israeli athletes at the Games are being escorted by elite tactical units and provided with 24-hour protection, with assistance from Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet.
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