Spectacular boat procession down the Seine marks opening ceremony for Olympic Games, with potential political undertones. Around 90 vessels carrying numerous athletes and officials are set to navigate through Paris on Friday evening. Notably included is a delegation from Israel amidst discussions of expressing solidarity with Palestinian causes during the procession.
The possibility of some national groups displaying support for the Palestinians may involve flying their flag or wearing symbolic messages, as reported by sources involved in this policy against participating delegations that oppose Israel's participation. Such actions are part of a broader strategy to target public events over the next three weeks surrounding the Games.
A Team Israel representative refrained from commenting on athlete involvement in the convoy but did not address questions regarding individual participation. Stephanie Adam, advocating for Palestinian rights through academic and cultural boycotts against Israel, called upon delegations to halt activities during the Olympics that endorse Israeli presence and urged athletes to stand up for Palestinian rights.
The opening ceremony security is robust, with a substantial force of police and gendarmes complemented by additional security guards. Despite tight security measures, an incident occurred in Saint-Étienne involving a match between Argentina and Morocco being briefly halted due to crowd reaction post the last goal scored—a situation that was swiftly resolved without major security breaches.
Israel's foreign minister conveyed concerns over potential threats against Israeli athletes, citing intelligence assessments of planned attacks from Iranian-backed entities or other terrorist groups during the Games and praised French authorities for their commitment to protecting Israelis while rejecting calls to bar Israel from participating.
Israeli Olympic delegates are under 24-hour protection by both French security services and Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet, highlighting international efforts to ensure safety amidst the ongoing political context of the Games.
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