CW: Telegraph
"Britain’s wheelchair basketball team has been accused of “deeply disrespectful and offensive behaviour” after players turned their backs on the Israeli national anthem.
The team swivelled their wheelchairs around so they were facing away from the Israeli flag as it was raised during the playing of the Jewish state’s national anthem.
Calls for gesture to be punished: Moshe “Mutz” Matalon, the president of the Israel Paralympic Committee, said: “Such conduct is deeply disrespectful to the athletes, stands in clear contradiction to the Paralympic spirit and undermines not only wheelchair basketball but also Israeli sport and the State of Israel as a whole.
“I can assure you that an Israeli team would never behave this way toward any national team. Unfortunately, it seems the world has already forgotten what Israel went through on Oct 7.”
Britain defeated Israel 74-64 before going on to claim overall victory in the event.
Moshe “Mutz” Matalon, the president of the Israel Paralympic Committee, said: “Such conduct is deeply disrespectful to the athletes, stands in clear contradiction to the Paralympic spirit and undermines not only wheelchair basketball but also Israeli sport and the State of Israel as a whole.
Pretty sure undermining the state of Israel was the point.
Unfortunately, it seems the world has already forgotten what Israel went through on Oct 7.”
This all reminds me of that Family Guy sketch of Louis saying 9/11 to win an election, but replace 9/11 with Oct. 7th.
