The Olympic Truce, Double Standards and Requiring Statements
Seeing as the modern Olympic Truce is formally recognized, wouldn’t it automatically follow that any country that openly violates it must be banned from the Olympic Games? And it is, correctly, one of the main reasons why Russia and Belarus are banned now, but it’s hardly enough when it comes to Israel, isn’t it? Not that it comes as a surprise, of course, when the double standards that so greatly favor Israel and ignore their crimes are so entrenched in this part of the world that can be collectively referred to as “the West”, but I’d want to see those who make such decisions seriously questioned and forced to try to come up with some sort of logical arguments for them.
At the same time, I do agree that athletes who happen to be born or otherwise have the citizenship of a banned country should be allowed to compete under a neutral flag, but at the moment that’s basically a way to greatly weaken such a ban, turn it into something that may be closer to a cosmetic matter, especially when even athletes who have openly expressed support for the war are accepted. So, to make things clear, to send a firm and explicit call for the end of such aggression, such athletes should be required to make a public statement, as part of the opening ceremony, that they reject and oppose the war or other acts of aggression that the country whose flag they’d otherwise compete under is engaged in. I mean, this isn’t about sports, it’s about politics, and being allowed to compete under a neutral flag when your country is otherwise banned for this reason should imply such a stance, yet things are quite different in practice and that must change.