The International Olympic Committee (IOC), headed by Jacques Rogge, an orthopedic surgeon from Belgium, has unilaterally created a Palestinian State,and allowed it to compete under its own flag in this year’s Olympic games.
Not only that, but “Palestinian athletes”, according to a CNN report, which thought it was just wonderful, don’t have to qualify like everyone else to compete in events!
Given that the last time so-called Palestinians — claiming not to have a country–participated in their own name in the Olympics they did so by murdering Olympic athletes, I would say that the entire International Olympic Committee ( IOC) has disgraced itself by failing its mission, i.e. “… to promote top-level sport as well as sport for all in accordance with the Olympic Charter…[to] ensure the regular celebration of the Olympic Games and strongly encourage, by appropriate means, the promotion of women in sport, that of sports ethics and the protection of athletes.”
How does allowing so-called Palestinians special privileges fit into that charter? Unless suicide bombings and shooting little girls in the back of the head are now Olympic events, one fails to see what special expertise they bring to override their obvious lack of qualifications to join world-class athletes on the playing field.
If this is the case, why not let everyone compete? Like the United Nations?
They could compete in the “Looking the other way during Genocide” event. Or the “Oil for Billions” marathon. Or perhaps a special gold medal for “Keeping People in Refugee Camps for the Longest Period of Time?” And then there is CNN. Let’s make them a nation too, and create a “Compassion for Suicide Bombers” conscience vault. I could see many nations competing in that, giving them a run for their money. Including the IOC members themselves.
Every single one of the 115 board members should be forced to resign in disgrace over this pitiful political decision. It should not be allowed to go unremarked and unchallenged. Barring that, the IOC’s ability to collect funds from networks and multinational corporations should be challenged, and national contributions to it from peace-loving nations like the U.S. should be cut off.
Below, some letters from readers and URL’s.
Dear Naomi,
Why haven’t we heard anything about the Palestine Olympic team? I was absolutely shocked to see it marching in the opening ceremonies. How did this happen? Isn’t the Olympic Competition for nations only? When did the Olympic Committee unilaterally declare into being a nation called Palestine? Where can we protest such a decision?
Tobey Grand
Lansdale, PA – USA
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Naomi,
Did you know that “Palestine” is one of the nations competing in the 2004 Olympics? I would like to contact the IOC, to ask for an explanation – like where is the “nation” located on a map? When did it gain its independence? I almost choked when the television commentator spoke of this myth as if it was reality, and praised “President” Arafat for calling out for a truce between Israel and his terrorists. Can you help me with this?
Debbie Berliner
Rancho Cordova, CA USA
Start with this link:
http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/media_centre/index_uk.asp. Clicking on “flag bearers” will take you to the site where all of the flag bearers are listed (including “Palestine”).
This link will take you to “The Palestine Olympic Committee”:
http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=PLE
with an address in “Palestine” and everything.
http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/index_uk.asp?id_assoc=7 This link shows a map of the five Olympic Councils. Strangely, I couldn’t find “Palestine” on their map! Israel is listed in the EOC.
http://www.olympic.org/common/search/asp/match.asp?query=Palestine&source=qu
eryBox&origin=0&lang=en This is the search link that I got when I searched for “Palestine”.