'Shame on' Swiss commentator who made remarks about Israeli athlete, head of Israeli Olympic bobsleigh says
The Swiss commentator who made remarks about Israeli-American bobsleigher AJ Edelman being “in favour of genocide in Gaza” while he was competing at the Olympics is a “bully,” says the president of the Israeli Olympic Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation.
Canadian-Israeli David Greaves told National Post on Tuesday that he was “extremely proud” of the Israeli athletes, “who have conducted themselves as mensches and true ambassadors of Israel, our sport and the Jewish people, something the Swiss broadcaster should take a few lessons from.” (A mensch is a Yiddish word that refers to a person of integrity and honour.)
“Shame on Stefan Renna,” said Greaves. Renna is the commentator who made the remarks on live television during the Israeli team’s 2-man run at the Cortina Sliding Centre on Monday.
“Nothing speaks louder than the Israeli flag being flown at these Olympic Games, giving a sense of deep pride, and belonging for the Jewish people,” said Greaves.
As Edelman and his teammate Menachem Chen started their run, Renna said, speaking in French, that Edelman “defines himself, and I quote, ‘as a Zionist to the core.'” Renna said that Edelman had posted in favour of the “genocide in Gaza” on social media. “I remind you that genocide is the term used by the United Nations commission of inquiry,” said Renna.
The commentator also said that Edelman had mocked a Free Palestine sign and had referred to Israel’s military intervention in the region as “the most morally just war in history.” Renna questioned Edelman’s presence at the Olympics, when other countries involved in a war, such as Russia, were deemed ineligible by the International Olympics Committee (IOC), with some athletes competing under a neutral flag.
Edelman said he was aware of the “diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team on the Swiss Olympics broadcast,” in a post on X .
“I can’t help but notice the contrast: Shul Runnings is a team of 6 proud Israelis who’ve made it to the Olympic stage. No coach with us. No big program. Just a dream, grit, and unyielding pride in who we represent. Working together towards an incredible goal and crushing it. Because that’s what Israelis do,” he wrote.
The team named itself Shul Runnings as a tribute to the first Jamaican bobsleigh team, which was catapulted to fame after a 1993 film about their experience called Cool Runnings, the Times of Israel reported .
“I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary. We look forward to our final 2man run and then crushing the 4man event, our specialty,” said Edelman.
Speaking at a daily briefing on Tuesday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “I would remind everyone (involved) in the Olympic Games, however tangentially, of the Olympic values and the (Olympic) Charter, and us trying to bring people together despite everything that is happening in the world. In terms of specific comments by a specific broadcaster, you’ll have to direct your comments to that broadcaster.”
The broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) said it had pulled the commentary from its website, Reuters reported.
“Our journalist wished to question the IOC’s policy regarding the statements made by the athlete concerned. However, although factual, such information may have appeared inappropriate due to its length within the context of a sports commentary. For this reason, we removed the segment from our website last night,” RTS told Reuters in a statement.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a post on X it was “beyond disgusting” that the “‘sportscaster’ spewed bigotry and bile at (the) Israel Olympic Bobsled team and its captain (AJ Edelman) as they competed.”
“It is unacceptable that broadcasting unions around the world disgrace Israeli athletes and portray them as supporters of genocide and call for their disqualification,” Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar said in a statement in Hebrew on Tuesday, as reported by the Jewish News Syndicate.
“I stand with Israeli athlete Adam Edelman and call on the International Olympic Committee to condemn the remarks of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and keep the Winter Olympics free of politics.”
Stop Antisemitism, an American organization dedicated to combatting antisemitism, said in a post on X that “calls for Renna’s termination are growing.”
“Rather than standard sports commentary, Renna insulted the team, specifically captain AJ Edelman,” the group said.
Creative Community for Peace, a nonprofit organization pushing for balance surrounding the discourse about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, posted on Instagram saying that the “Olympic stage is for sport — not geopolitical attacks.”
“No athlete should be targeted on air because he is Israeli. No Jewish competitor should be interrogated about geopolitics during competition,” the post said. “This was inappropriate and unacceptable.”