‘Largest-ever’ security efforts underway as Israeli Olympic athletes receive death threats ahead of their arrival in Paris
Israel is sending armed Shin Bet agents to Paris to prepare for the
largest-ever security operation for Israeli athletes at the Olympic
Games.
Israeli Olympians taking part in the world’s foremost sports
competition have been receiving death threats online over the last few
days, according to Israeli media.
Approximately 88 Israeli athletes and their teams are set to receive
a security detail from Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency, but not
all will have their own bodyguard.
Israeli broadcaster Walla reported over the weekend that
Israeli athletes have received threatening online messages written in
poor Hebrew. As many as 15 athletes and their teams reportedly received
identical death threats via email, warning them they would be killed if
they arrived in France.
The anonymous email threatened to repeat the atrocities of the Munich
Massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics, promising harm to “any
Israeli presence at the Olympics.”
The Munich Massacre saw 11 Israeli athletes and coaches murdered by 8
individuals belonging to the Palestinian militant group Black
September.
Many Israeli athletes competing this year have also received suspicious calls from foreign numbers in the last few days.
Miki Zohar, Israel’s minister of culture and sport, told The
Telegraph that the team’s security budget this year had been doubled,
and security detail planning has been ongoing for “more than a year”.
“We know there are threats, but we don’t want to talk about it,” he
said. “We try our best to make sure the athletes feel free but also safe
and not afraid. We don’t want them to notice the security guards too
much. We want them to feel confident so they can do their job,”
Lior Akerman, a former Shin Bet officer, told the Telegraph that agents will be “equipped with weapons and technologies” and will be assisted by local security and police forces.
Shin Bet will oversee athletes’ security “at every stage and place”
from the moment of their arrival to the moment they board the plane back
to Israel, Akerman said.
He said: “Of course, it is not possible to go into detail about the
security methods, but the combination of Israeli experience and
knowledge together with the cooperation with local security forces,
provides an excellent and complete answer to the security of the
delegation.”
The Israeli team will not be avoiding any events or places and is
planning on going about the games as normal, according to officials.
A former Shin Bet chief, Yaakov Peri, also told the Telegraph
that the operation is “one of the toughest security challenges” any
Israeli delegation has faced in the country’s history, and that Israeli
security agents are likely already in Paris “checking the ground”.
“The threat against the team can come from anywhere,” Peri said,
“there is no doubt that there’s a danger. It can be Hamas or other
terrorists, but Iran is behind almost everything. And France is of
particular concern due to the level of antisemitism there,”
The Israel-Hamas war has since October caused threats against Jews
and Israelis in Europe to skyrocket, with Israel claiming to have foiled
“dozens” of attacks against Israelis abroad in recent months.
On Friday, French police arrested an alleged Hamas-supporting man on
terrorist charges after he attempted to murder a taxi driver.
The Israeli government has repeatedly issued warnings to Israeli
citizens against travelling abroad since October 7 due to a “growing
threat” from Iran, Hamas, and other Jihadi groups who “vigorously
promote attacks against Israelis and Jews.”
France is considered a “category 2” country by Israeli security
officials, meaning there is a “potential threat” for Israelis visiting
the country and taking “increased precautionary measures” is
recommended.
A ceremony, the date and location of which are not yet known, to
commemorate the Munich Massacre will be commemorated during the Olympics
this year, French media reported.
