Israeli athletes preparing to participate in the Paris Summer Olympics have been victims of death threats and hate messages in recent days.
The messages came in the form of emails on Thursday and Friday, then in mobile text messages on Saturday, Walla reported.
The text messages mainly were written in Hebrew language with many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
Fifteen athletes and members of Israel's delegation received explicit death threats via email if they arrived in France, the outlet said.
"Of course, we take all of this seriously and do not underestimate it, but we are also not pressured," said Yael Arad, chair of the Israeli Olympic Committee.
"It was clear to us that this kind of trolling would come. We were prepared for it. We instructed the athletes how to act when it came. We have many conversations and meetings on the subject. It is clear to us that there are elements that want to incite us from the focus, but we are well-secured and the security elements are informed of everything that is necessary."
The email to the delegation members included a letter signed by a known extremist organization, several of whose members have been arrested recently in preparation for the Summer Games, which will begin Friday in Paris.
The letter referenced the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, where 11 Israelis were murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group.
"The People's Defense Organization announces that it intends to harm any Israeli presence at the Olympics," the anonymous letter read, Walla reported. "The Jewish lobby that controls the French Parliament will not determine anything anymore. The fate of the Zionists will be the same as the fate of the Palestinians in Gaza if the Zionists continue to terrorize everyone."
"Therefore, you are not invited to Paris 2024. If you come, take into account that he intends to recreate the events of Munich 1972. Be on alert Harm at any moment — at the airport, at the hotel and on the streets, which belong exclusively to us. Even the wave of arrests against members of our organization will not prevent us from sticking to our plans, it will not save you either. Prepare for the intifada!"
Israeli athletes, who have arrived in France, will receive 24-hour protection during the Paris Olympics, France's interior minister said, after a far-left lawmaker said Israel's delegation was not welcome and called for protests against their participation.
The Telegraph reported Israel was sending armed Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) agents to Paris.
Reuters contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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