In Ancient Greece, where the Olympic games originated, there was a rule called the Olympic Truce. There was a need to protect spectators and athletes alike and thus, each time there was a competition, it was recognized that all battles were suspended. This concept seems so impossible because conflict is about not working together… it’s about a total abdication of all rules… conflict is all about the world being chaotic.
The modern Olympic games are not the same as the ancient ones, but they are based around the original Olympiad games. The participants in the original games were not from around the world but from the various city-states of ancient Greece. The first modern Olympic games were held in 1896 and they have greatly grown since then. The ideology of the Olympic games is a world in which peace and understanding reign supreme. It’s a worldview that celebrates cultural diversity and sportsmanship. The Olympic philosophy is to bring our world closer together, not to drive us farther apart.
Any student of history can readily question the ability of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to provide us with moral clarity. Where was the IOC in 1936 when Adolf Hitler was allowed to use the games as part of his propaganda machine? It was sweet karma that Jesse Owens won four gold medals on behalf of the US at those games. Where has the IOC been since the 1972 Munich games when Israeli athletes were kidnapped, held as hostages and murdered? Where has the memorial observance been on their behalf? This year the Japanese hosts chose to acknowledge the murders of the Israeli team 49 years later, almost in spite of the IOC. Where is the IOC’s moral clarity at this time when Iran’s Javad Foroughi was allowed to be celebrated for wining gold in Mens’ 10m Air Pistol Shooting? Where did this athlete hone his skills? He’s a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp and served in Syria where Iranians have murdered an unknown, unfathomable number of innocent men, women and children.
The Olympics are inherently political. During the weeks of competition, the sports are the attraction but behind all the sports, is a great deal of politics. For years and years Israel has proudly competed during the Olympic games. They have represented our tiny homeland and have successfully won medals. In fact, Israel has already won a medal this year and there’s hope they’ll win even more. With all the honor and joy of representing their country, they still must contend with politics and anti-Semitism.
This year, two of Israel’s competitors in Judo had athletes refuse to compete against them. Both have been subsequently sent home. In the previous Olympic games when one of the two Judo competitors, Or Sasson, ultimately won the bronze medal, it was overshadowed by his Egyptian opponent refusing to shake his hand. What does it mean when an athlete from Algeria or Sudan refuses to compete against one from Israel? What does it mean when an athlete is boycotted for their country’s “record”? It all comes back to hatred and anti-Semitism. Where is the boycott of China for its human rights abuses against its Uyghur minority? Where is the outrage against Myanmar whose documented human rights abuses are far too numerous to write here? They are currently holding a graduate from my high school, Danny Fenster, in a prison since May where he is not able to communicate with the outside world at all. Where is the outrage with Iran? People are executed on a regular basis for no reason at all. It’s the largest sponsor of terror in the world. Where is the outrage? It’s not there.
The reality is that when Israel is, and Israelis are, singled out for condemnation and boycott, there’s more at work than political advocacy. There is much legitimate debate to be had on peace, the occupied territories, Arab citizens of Israel and much more. There is no doubt there is work to be done. But each time Israel is made to be the greatest villain, in a world filled with villains, we take steps away from that work not closer to it. Each time people promote the rights of Palestinians and ignore the rights of Jews, we don’t work toward a solution but only a prolonging of conflict. The failure to equally apply one’s moral indignation across the world will always remain an obstacle to tackling these real issues.
I enjoy watching the Olympics every other year (I happen to like the winter events more than the summer ones). I love the joy on the faces of the athletes. I love learning about obscure sports that people train and compete in. I love the mosaic that is the population of the world and seeing people of all ethnicities competing. All this can only be made possible when an “Olympic Truce” is not only enforced, but is actually the moral world view of all involved. Let every person involved in the Olympics come together and recognize the world is much larger, and smaller, than we think it is. Let them all come together and recognize the sports in which they compete and provide them a stage from which to advocate but not to denigrate.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Hearshen
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