Iran says Olympians will compete against Israelis

[Paradigm]

Sports and politics must be totally separate. The athletes from different countries should not get involved with any political issues.

[The]

It would have been nice to see at least one Iranian athlete have the balls to go on competing despite the government disagreement.
Those moments make history.

[Ario Barzan]

Just let the athletes play so I can see an Iranian smash the crap out of an Israeli.

"Hate no one, no matter how much they’ve wronged you. Live humbly ..."

does this quote look familiar?!?

[Camran khan]

Every Iranian who hates Israel needs to wake up, sure they're our enemy BECAUSE OF THE IR. Otherwise they're not really our enemy, I'd rather see us beat some Arabs than some Israelis, this anti-Israeli shit is all from the arabs and I can't see why people hate Israel? Because they suck up to America? Sure they do, so did we once and we were a much better nation back then. I say f*ck Palestine instead, with Israel in the region or without Israel in the region they will still be the same backward shithole they are today, it's mostly because of their backward mentality. Most Arabs who hate Israel are just jelaous, today they're the country with the 17th higest HDI in the world! If that is what you become when you suck up to America then sign me in! I'd rather be allied with Israel and the US than some backwards monkies who can't even run their own families let alone their country.

[palangheTM]

Iranian Olympian Comes Down With Mysterious Infection To Avoid Facing An Israeli
For 33 years, Iranian athletes have forfeited or withdrawn to avoid matching up against Israeli athletes in international competition. It was all supposed to change in London. Earlier this week, Bahram Afsharzadeh, the head of Iran's Olympic committee, said "we will be truthful to sport. We just follow the sportsmanship and play every country."

That very same day, the Tehran Times reported that Iranian judokan Javad Mahjoub would be withdrawing from the Olympics with "a gut infection." Why does this matter? Mahjoub, in the 100kg judo competition, was the only Iranian athlete who could possibly have matched up against an Israeli—in this case, 2004 bronze medalist Arik Ze'evi. Mahjoub's doctor reportedly put him on a 10-day course of antibiotics, during which he can not compete. This was announced precisely 10 days before the 100kg judo competition begins.

Perhaps we ought to give him the benefit of the doubt, and not assume he's pulling a little Jew Jitsu to keep up the decades-old tradition of refusing to recognize Israel's nationhood. He might've just eaten some British food.

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Iranian Claims He Has 'Infection' , Won't Compete Against Israeli Athlete

Remember IOC President Jacques Rogge's warning that 'sanctions would be taken' against any Muslim nation refusing to compete against Israelis?

Just days after U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon announced the traditional Olympic Truce – for people and nations to “set aside their differences” during London 2012 – news emerged that the one Iranian athlete likely to face an Israeli in competition has withdrawn with a “gut infection.”

Iranian Javad Mahjoub qualified in the same half-heavyweight judo category as an Israeli, Ariel Ze’evi, who participated in the last three Olympics, won the bronze medal in Athens 2004, and is the 2012 European champion. The half-heavyweight category competition is scheduled for August 2.

But Iranian Sports Medicine Federation head Lotfali Pour-Kazemi said this week Mahjoub’s condition required a 10-day antibiotic course and he would not be able to compete. An Iranian judo website quoted him as saying the judoka was experiencing “weakness, nausea and vomiting.”

During the Judo World Cup in Tashkent in 2011, Mahjoub was lined up in a head-to-head against another Israeli, Or Sasson, but refused to compete.

For his part, Ze’evi has been on the receiving end of an anti-Israel boycott before, when a Tunisian withdrew rather than taken him on during world judo championships in 2001. Ze’evi won silver.

Iranians withdrew from events pitting them against Israelis in the last two Olympic Games, in Athens 2004 (judo) and Beijing 2008 (swimming).

The Olympic Charter states, “Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”

[Kiarash]

People should stop bashing Israel, they were on our side during Iran-Iraq war. They sent soldiers and helped Iran with many weapons. And yet we see Iraq as our ''brothers''

[palangheTM]

i wonder what excuse the next iranian athletes will have if they must face israel

[PSGman#19]

People should stop bashing Israel, they were on our side during Iran-Iraq war. They sent soldiers and helped Iran with many weapons. And yet we see Iraq as our ''brothers''

Why did khomeyni decide to thanks them in cutting ties?

[Ario Barzan]

no matter how well irooni athletes perform during these olympics, i just wish and hope against hope that they hold themselves with dignity and class ... not display the same pathetic, backwards, fanatically religious gestures and behaviors that perhaps the IR goons have instructed them 2 display ...

i really hope that if they lose, they lose with dignity ... and if they win, they win with grace ... always smiling, shaking hands with their opponents, and hugging their friends & foes alike, as the spirit of the games is!

let's show the world that we are indeed civilized, friendly, and a contributing member of the world community

[Ghormeh Sabzi]

i wonder what excuse the next iranian athletes will have if they must face israel

Injury

[Kaveh Ahangar]

The Islamic Republic forfeiting fixtures against Israelis is really just a cowardly act.

[Shahin K]

The Islamic Republic forfeiting fixtures against Israelis is really just a cowardly act.

Really true and sad..I mean they don't see Israel as a country. But by refusing to play them they are only hurting themselves. I so hate IR..

[Ario Barzan]

^how shameful ... because during shah's time, we were israel's best friend in the region and vise versa ... with our TM playing them many times ... very civilized and peacefully!

but even then, i remember specially the more deeply religious iranians, usually bad mouthing israel and jews, and u know what the most ironic thing is ... jewsim & islam are both from the same abrahamic roots and origins!?!!!!

[Paradigm]

Is there any other country in the Olympics in the past 30 years which has refused to play with Israel, or is it only IR Iran...? Merely curious.

[Sharkie]

How am I hating on someone for that? Have you read other posts where I have said, "Iran smash Persian Gulf Arab team"? I mean, I don't give a damn if their opponent is Israeli, Brazilian, or American. An Iranian win is what I care for.

does this quote look familiar?!?