A Winter Olympics commentator accused a member of the Israeli bobsled team of supporting ‘genocide in Gaza’ and questioned his participation at the Games in Cortina during a live broadcast.
Stefan Renna was covering the men’s bobsleigh event for Swiss broadcaster RTS when he focused on previous comments made by the Israeli pilot AJ Edelman during the team’s run.
In his commentary which was shared widely online but was subsequently removed by RTS on its website, Renna said: ‘Adam Edelman, first-time Olympian and self-defined Zionist to the core, who has posted several messages on social networks in support of genocide in Gaza.
‘Genocide is the term used by the UN Commission of Inquiry into the region.
‘Edelman, who described the Israeli military intervention as, and I quote: ‘The most morally just war in history’.
‘He also mocked a ‘Free Palestine’ inscription on a wall in Lillehammer on the sidelines of a World Cup stage.
‘He asked his followers to send strength to [Ward] Fawaresh when this member of the Israeli team, who is present here in Cortina, [and] was engaged in an operation by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip in 2023.’
Renna continued: ‘This raises the question of his presence in Cortina during these games, since the IOC had indicated that athletes who, and I quote: ‘Actively supported the war by participating in pro-war events, being military engaged or via their activities on their social networks were not eligible to participate’.
‘That was for the Russian athletes, in order to allow some of them to compete under a neutral banner.
‘We recall that a controversy has already erupted at the Eugenio Monti Centre over the refusal of a Ukrainian skeleton skier to relinquish a helmet bearing the effigy of Ukrainian athletes killed at the front during the Russian bombardments.
‘The IOC has disqualified this skeleton competitor because he violated, in France, according to the body, the rule on political messages at competition venues, which goes to show, sport is obviously eminently political.
‘We have other examples of this year in Cortina, as is the case at every Olympic Games. In any case, Adam Edelman set the twenty-sixth and final cumulative time after the first two runs.’
In his response to Renna’s commentary, Edelman wrote on X: ‘I am aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team on the Swiss Olympics broadcast today.
‘I can’t help but notice the contrast: Shul Runnings is a team of 6 proud Israelis who’ve made it to the Olympic stage. No coach with us. No big program. Just a dream, grit, and unyielding pride in who we represent.
‘Working together towards an incredible goal and crushing it. Because that’s what Israelis do.
‘I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary.’
Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador to Israel, wrote on X: ‘Beyond disgusting that the Jew-hating Swiss ‘sportscaster’ spewed bigotry & bile at Israel Olympic Bobsled team and its captain AJ Edelman as they competed.’
A spokesperson for RTS said: ‘Our journalist wanted to question the IOC’s policy regarding the athlete’s statements. However, such information, while factual, is inappropriate for sports commentary due to its length. Therefore, we removed the segment from our website last night.’
In response to the commentary, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said: ‘I would remind everyone involved, however tangentially, in the Olympic Games, of the values and the charter and the idea of us trying to bring people together despite what’s happening in the rest of the world.
‘But in terms of specific comments by a commentator on one specific broadcast. I think that’s a matter that you need to refer and ask questions to the broadcast. So that’s not a question for us at this stage.’
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