2026 Winter Olympics: IOC Confirms Rejection To Strike Out Israel

The IOC declined to cross Israel out of participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics (doc. IOC).

JAKARTA - Executive Director of the Olympics for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Christophe Dubi, said his party refused to exclude Israel from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Dubi emphasized that the IOC both recognizes Israel and Palestine as legitimate countries participating in the Olympics, including at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.

"Israel respects the Olympic Charter," Dubi said of the possibility of Israel being dropped from the 2026 Winter Olympics, quoted from Inside The Games, Friday, September 19, 2025.

Furthermore, Dubi explained that the situation in Palestine is different from what happened with Russia-Ukraine. He again made the validity of the Palestinian and Israeli Olympic Committees in an equal position.

"Israel and Palestine are special cases because there are two Olympic Committees (Israel and Palestine) and both follow the IOC rules."

"From a sports point of view, from our accountability, this (Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestinian) is a different case," he said.

Apart from that, Dubi stated that preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics were still going as planned. He also ensured the safety of participants and spectators at the event which took place in February 2026.

"The first task is to ensure the safety of participants and the public. Preparations for Milano Cortina are very good," Dubi said of public pressure to remove Israel from international events.

The same thing was conveyed by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Milano Cortina 2026, Giovanni Malago, who is also a member of the IOC. He called the Israeli-Palestinian issue different from Russia-Ukraine.

"There must be a difference between those who have a political responsibility, namely the government. This dynamic has been regulated in the Olympic Charter," said Malago.

For the 2026 Winter Olympics, there are three Israeli athletes who will take part in the sport of alpine skiing or downhill skiing and figure skating.