Now, not only are the olympics woke, they’re also anti-semitic.
According to reports, a second Judo competitor has elected to be sent home rather than spar with Israeli athlete, Tohar Butbul. Competitors from Sudan and Algeria chose to forfeit their matches, one specifically citing anti-Israel political talking points like “Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”
The Algerian coach told local media,
“We have worked hard to qualify for the Games, but the Palestinian cause is bigger than all that. My position is consistent on the Palestinian issue, and I reject normalization.”
You know what’s interesting, though? No one is refusing to compete against Chinese athletes and citing the literal genocide that is currently being perpetrated by the Chinese government. The literal rape, torture, enslavement, and murder of an entire race that is occurring in China even as we watch these woke olympics, and there aren’t any countries or athletes refusing to compete against the Chinese team.
You know what else is interesting? None of the Jewish competitors are refusing to compete against athletes from Islamic countries.
Weird how that works, right? These athletes aren’t actually protesting the mistreatment of certain people by other people. That’s not actually what matters to them.
I guess it’s less about actual morals and more about perpetuating a particular narrative.
This has actually happened quite a lot in the competitive Judo world the last few years. Opponents regularly refuse to compete and officially forfeit rather than face Israeli opponents, as a political statement in solidarity with Palestine. Again, I’m wondering why they don’t forfeit against other nationalities with deep ties to terrorism or violent communism. Just seems less genuine to forfeit against Israel when you’re totally cool competing against opponents from other countries that are provably responsible for terrible ongoing atrocities.
The International Judo Federation temporarily suspended Algeria’s athlete and his coach, saying,
“Judo sport is based on a strong moral code, including respect and friendship, to foster solidarity and we will not tolerate any discrimination, as it goes against the core values and principles of our sport.”
Curiously, Israeli competitor Butbul said that he was more disappointed in his own seventh-place finish, which was worse than what he hoped for, than he was with the athletes who refused to remain in the competition and face him for anti-Semitic reasons.