Jewish group urges Iran be barred from Olympics until Iranians end boycott of Israeli athletes
Associated Press
27-Jul-2011 (2 comments)

JERUSALEM — A Jewish organization says Iran should be barred from taking part in the Olympics and other international sporting events until its athletes stop boycotting their Israeli counterparts.

The World Jewish Congress says the Iranian behavior is “unsportsmanlike and smacks of anti-Semitism.”

An Iranian swimmer pulled out of a race that included an Israeli at the world swimming championships in Shanghai this week, claiming he was “tired and drowsy.”

The same swimmer pulled out of a race against an Israeli at the 2008 Olympics, claiming he was ill.

Iranian athletes have pulled out of events in similar circumstances in the past.

Iran’s Islamic regime is hostile to Israel and backs anti-Israel groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Shifteh Ansari

Dear Yolanda

by Shifteh Ansari on

If only you knew the pressure under which these poor athletes train and compete, you would understand them better. They are told they must withdraw from competitions for which they have trained all their lives; they have no choice. It is bad enough they have to live under a tyrannical regime that thinks nothing of their lifetime efforts and achievements before sacrificing them for its political objectives, they are now threatened with an end to their sports careers and ambitions by this group's lobbying efforts. Well, at least The World Jewish Congress is not pretending to be concerned about Iranian people's human rights.


yolanda

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by yolanda on

I am interested to see what excuses he will have for the London Games?

He claimed to be ill, drowsy, and tired every time he ran into Israeli swimmers! I guess he feels healthy, alert, and energized if his opponents are non-Israelis!