Israel's Football Match Becomes A Security Test For The 2024 Paris Olympics, Pro-Palestinian Actions Are Restricted

JAKARTA - The preliminary match for Group D for football which brought together Israel vs Mali at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, local time became a security test for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The match passed the first security test ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26, 2024, local time.

The fans of both sides try not to be too concerned about the political context and enjoy the action of players on the field.

Hosts France deployed about 1,000 police officers backed by Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, to welcome thousands of supporters in the evening's match.

They closed the streets around the Parc des Princes, Paris, and set up a perimeter of several kilometers from the stadium.

As it turned out, in the match which ended in a 1-1 draw, it was protected from major incidents because both support camps tried to rule out politics.

The match was also witnessed by the Minister of Home Affairs of France, Gerald Darmanin, and the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.

The Paris 2024 Olympics take place amid real security concerns and rising geopolitical tensions, including Israel's war in Gaza.

Israeli participants were escorted by elite tactical units to and from the stadium and given 24-hour protection during the Olympics.

The flags of Mali and Israel were flying a lot and the atmosphere before the match was warm with supporters mingling.

More Mali supporters were seen in the stadium. The Israeli national anthem was initially ridiculed before the screams sank.

Then, several supporters waved the Palestinian flag. A number of people at the start of the match stood near the pitch wearing white T-shirts, each with the words "Free Palestine". After a minute, the supervisors intervened.

Other Israeli fans also said they wanted the Olympic ceasefire to forget the war in Gaza and enjoy its excitement.

"I don't care about minorities that don't want Israel here. Antisemitism is a disease and I'm not here to be the cure," said Michael Levy, 50, who wants to witness his nephew, Ethan, playing in the Israeli team.

Meanwhile, Mali, a predominantly Muslim country, cut ties with Israel in 1973 after the Yom Kippur war.

As a former French colony, there is a large Mali diaspora in France. They came out in full strength to support the players of the Mali national team.

The fans wore traditional yellow, green, and red Mali clothes.

One of them is Aisha Cisse, who came from Bamako, the capital city of Mali. He attended the Mali national team in all international tournaments, danced, and sang his supporting songs.

Mali supporters this time carried out a mission to protest against Israel's participation in the Paris Olympics, as far as left-wing French lawmakers.

However, the strict presence of security dampened the hopes of the protests.

Israel Avoids Hot Political Atmosphere

The Israel-Mali match provides the first picture of how the wider community responds to Israel's participation in the Paris Olympics.

Hosts France provide strict security specifically for the Israeli contingent. They do not want to repeat the tragedy that killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Israel's training base in Croissy, about 20 kilometers west of Paris, was surrounded by journalists to ask about the situation.

Israeli players also tried to appear relaxed, but there was still a bit of tension.

Media watchdogs shouted out reporters' questions about political backgrounds.

"Just football," shouted the media supervisor.

One of the Israeli players also tried to avoid discussing the hot political atmosphere.

"We came here to win and achieve a lot with this team and are very happy. We have work to do," Omri Gandelman, a midfielder who plays for the Belgian club, Gent, told reporters.