Algerian judoka withdraws from Olympics refusing to face Israeli
2 Min Read
In an act of protest, Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris withdraws from his opening match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
-
Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris at the Zagreb Grand Prix 2023. (International Judo Federation)
Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris withdrew from his opening match at the 2024 Paris Olympics, refusing to compete against Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul. The International Judo Federation announced on Sunday that Butbul would advance by walkover.
Dris was disqualified after missing the weigh-in scheduled for the day before his match against Butbul, which was to be the first in the men’s 73-kilogram division, scheduled on Monday.
This marks the second consecutive Olympics where an Algerian judoka has withdrawn before facing Butbul. At the Tokyo 2021 Games, Algeria’s Fethi Nourine also withdrew to avoid a potential second-round match against Butbul, citing support for Palestine.
Consequently, Nourine and his coach, Amar Benikhlef, received a 10-year suspension from the International Judo Federation in September 2021.
'Israel' not welcomed by supporters in Olympics
The presence of the Israeli team at the Paris Games has sparked protests over the regime’s actions in Gaza. Despite global outcry against "Israel's" participation, the International Olympic Committee and the French government have maintained their support for the team.
Before the games began, a US-based rights advocacy group called for "Israel" to be barred from the 2024 Paris Olympics, citing a recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the regime’s crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
The executive director of the nonprofit organization Avaaz, Fadi Quran, issued a statement in a social media post last Tuesday. This followed an ICJ advisory opinion asserting that Israeli actions fall under apartheid and systematic discrimination against Palestinians and has effectively annexed large portions of their territory through its occupation.
Additionally, Iran condemned "Israel's" participation in the Olympic Games due to its prolonged genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
“Announcing the reception and protection of the Apartheid and terrorist Zionist regime's convoy only means giving legitimacy to the child killers. They do not deserve to be present at the Paris Olympics because of the war against the innocent people of Gaza,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.
