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Swiss athletes turn their backs on the Israeli flag during the playing of hte Israeli national anthem
(Photo: Team Bizzi)
Although the Swiss athletes initially shook hands with their Israeli counterparts, they pointedly did not face the Israeli flag when "Hatikvah," Israel’s national anthem, was played during the ceremony. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the behavior, saying, "Congratulations to the Israeli team. Shame on the Swiss team for their disrespectful behavior."
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervened, prompting the president of the Swiss Fencing Association to express regret over the athletes' actions. The president confirmed that an investigation into the incident would be conducted, with further steps to be determined.
The controversy quickly gained attention in Switzerland, where the Swiss Fencing Association announced it would "investigate the event." The matter was specifically referred to the actions of fencers Yan Auri, Theo Broshar, Yonatan Fohriman, and Sven Vines.
Social media reactions were mixed, with some users supporting Israel and others defending the Swiss athletes' actions. One user on the X social media platform wrote, "So Switzerland is neutral, unless it’s Israel?" while another countered, "This fencing team does not represent Switzerland. Politics should stay out of sports."
Israeli team expresses hurt
After celebrating their gold medal, fencers Itamar Tavor and Alon Sharid shared their thoughts on the incident.
"This was a very important day for us," Tavor said. "We trained hard for this competition, and we are so proud and happy to have achieved our goal of winning gold. It’s not something we take for granted, and we showed great team spirit throughout the day."
Sharid expressed his disappointment over the Swiss athletes’ actions, explaining, "At first, they shook our hands, but after we won, some avoided us. Later, during 'Hatikvah,' they didn’t turn to face the Israeli flag. We only realized this after the ceremony when we saw the pictures. We were deeply hurt."
Sharid continued: "This is disrespectful not just to us as fencers but to the country we represent. We were always taught that sportsmanship comes first, whether we win or lose. It’s hurtful to see this kind of treatment when we win."
Criticism from Israeli officials
In addition to Sa’ar, Yael Arad, chairwoman of the Israeli Olympic Committee, also condemned the Swiss protest. Arad called the athletes' actions a "provocation" and noted that it contradicted both Olympic values and Switzerland's stance on terrorism after Hamas was declared illegal following the October 7 attacks.
“Their failure to respect sportsmanship speaks volumes about them as athletes and young people," Arad said. "I would expect them to set aside differences and show mutual respect, especially after such a decisive loss.”
The Israeli Olympic Committee has contacted the Swiss Olympic Committee to ensure there will be zero tolerance for such behavior. The committee also plans to express its stance to the Swiss Fencing Federation.
The Swiss Fencing Federation released a statement condemning the use of the event for personal political statements and reaffirmed its commitment to a sports environment free of politics.
