Herzog says barred from exiting plane in Paris amid security incident
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Isaac Herzog is in Paris to cheer for the Israeli team at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, at the Portuguese Synagogue during a ceremony marking the opening of the New Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam on March 10, 2024 (AP)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his entourage were ordered to wait on their plane after landing in Paris due to a security incident, according to Israeli media.
Herzog's spokesperson told Israel Hayom that the "incident is over" but provided no additional details.
Herzog is in Paris to support the Israeli team at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Macron says Netanyahu welcome to attend Olympics
Macron has said that although he strongly disagrees with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister is still welcome to attend the Olympic ceremony in France.
He added that Israeli athletes were also "welcome" to attend, despite requests from some French MPs and the Palestinian Olympic Committee to boycott.
He stated that "Israeli athletes are welcome in our country. They must be able to compete under their colors because the Olympic movement has decided it," adding that it was the "responsibility" of France to protect them, condemning "all those who create risks for these athletes and implicitly threaten them."
Israeli athletes will receive 24-hour protection during the Paris Olympics, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in a TV interview on Sunday evening. This announcement follows a call by far-left lawmaker Thomas Portes for protests against "Israel's" participation.
"Israeli athletes will be protected around the clock during the Games," Darmanin said.
La délégation Israélienne fera l’objet d’une sécurisation renforcée par les forces de l’ordre pendant toute sa présence sur le territoire national. pic.twitter.com/HPbO1RAmCu
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) July 21, 2024
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, on his part, reassured that France welcomes the Israeli delegation and is committed to their security.
"I want to say on behalf of France, to the Israeli delegation, we welcome you to France for these Olympic Games," Sejourne said at a meeting with European Union counterparts in Brussels.
Despite potential resistance, some LFI lawmakers defended Portes, citing "Israel's" violations of international law in Gaza.
A memorial for the 1972 Munich Olympics has been moved from Paris' City Hall to the Israeli embassy due to alleged "security concerns".
The Paris Olympics will commence with an ambitious opening ceremony along the Seine, featuring athletes paraded on barges down the river.
