International Paralympic Committee Stands by Israel’s Inclusion in Paris Games Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict
The head of the International Paralympic Committee stated that Israel should not be sanctioned from the games, emphasizing that wars and conflicts should not influence participation in an event meant to convey hope and support.
In March, the IPC announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympics would not be part of the opening ceremony. These athletes are barred from team competitions at the July 26-Aug. 11 Olympics and the Aug. 28-Sept. 8 Paralympics but are allowed to participate as neutrals, without flags or anthems.
Despite at least 35,456 Palestinians killed in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's health ministry, Israel will fully participate in the Games.
“The situations are different,” Andrew Parsons, head of the IPC, told a media outlet. “The Russian and Belarusian Paralympic Committees were suspended because both organizations breached the Olympic constitution. They used the Olympic movement to promote the war and the invasion of Ukraine.”
Olympic authorities believe Israel should not be penalized, “In the case of Israel, the Paralympic Committee and even the Palestine Paralympic Committee have not done anything of that nature. We don't have any process in place when it comes to suspending those national Paralympic committees,” Parsons explained.
Parsons added that the Olympic movement should maintain a cool head and promote peace. “We don’t want to be directed by the conflicts around the world. The message is the other way around: even if there are countries in conflict, support can still be a beacon of hope,” he said.
London 2012 is seen as a turning point in Paralympic history, but Parsons is confident Paris will also be a vintage edition, even though most tickets have yet to be sold. Paris 2024 has sold about 900,000 tickets, leaving some 1.9 million still available.
“In London, we sold 1.3 million tickets in the last three months, and in Rio, we sold two million tickets in the last eight weeks. We expect ticket sales to pick up,” Parsons said.
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