Algerian judoka to be sent home after refusing potential Tokyo Olympics bout with Israeli

[ripcord]

Source: ESPN

An Algerian judo athlete will be sent home from the Olympics after he withdrew from the competition to avoid potentially facing an Israeli opponent.

Fethi Nourine and his coach, Amar Benikhlef, told Algerian media they were withdrawing to avoid a possible second-round matchup with Israel's Tohar Butbul in the men's 73 kg division on Monday. Nourine was drawn to face Sudan's Mohamed Abdalrasool in the opening round, with the winner facing Butbul, the fifth seed.

The International Judo Federation's executive committee has temporarily suspended Nourine and Benikhlef, who are likely to face sanctions beyond the Olympics, which began Saturday. The Algerian Olympic committee then withdrew both men's accreditation and made plans to send them home.

The IJF said Nourine's position was "in total opposition to the philosophy of the International Judo Federation. The IJF has a strict non-discrimination policy, promoting solidarity as a key principle, reinforced by the values of judo."

Read more: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31871596/algerian-judoka-sent-home-refusing-potential-tokyo-olympics-bout-israeli

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They say it is about supporting Palestine but more likely they don't want to deal with the shame of losing to an Israeli.

[JI7]

1. I guess they are ok with all the things happening in Muslim countries

[McKim]

2. Hmmm......Was this about Muslim Countries and Israel?

Hmmmm.....was this story about Muslim countries vs. Israel? I thought he was making a boycott point.

[JI7]

5. lol

[GulfCoast66]

7. I don't know. Maybe it was about Muslim countries hating Jews.

You were ambiguous in your point. I chose not to be.

Perhaps you can tell us what you really feel.

Leaving out other political considerations I’ve started using the treatment of gay folks to judge a country.

Israel just had a giant gay rights parade. There were no ramifications for joining. Gay folks can’t marry there yet but gay marriages from other nations are recognized and gay folks openly serve in the military.

Gay folks in Algeria go to prison. If not killed by their families.

I know what side I’m on.

Many on DU will disagree. But if the Palestinians supported multicultural and a multi religious society with rights with no interference in religious beliefs or lack there of and rights for people of all sexuality they would have had peace years ago.

And that is a problem with Israel. They still allow religious courts power which I hate. Their marriage laws consider religion. That is a problem to me.

But compared to their neighbors they are down right progressive.

[cab67]

12. How long is that going to last?

The ultra-orthodox are the most rapidly growing component of the Israeli Jewish population. And some of these communities are only marginally more tolerant than some of the Muslim communities you're thinking about.

My wife made it about half a block into an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem before being told to leave. Her legs and shoulders were covered, and she wore a hat, but she had the audacity to wear slacks (instead of a skirt) and a short-sleeved shirt. (My wife is Jewish, by the way.)

Some of these people would happily start stoning people to death for sexual transgressions if they could get away with it.

The ultra-orthodox may not be a majority in Israel, but they have way too much clout in the Knesset for Israel's own good.

Based on my visits to Israel, I would agree that Israeli culture is, by and large, open and welcoming. That may arise from the fact that it was largely settled by people from Western countries that already had some sense of modernity and tolerance. That, and memories of what grotesque industrialized intolerance can lead to remain fresh. But religious conservatives there are a bigger problem than even here, where evangelicals wield power way out of proportion to their numbers in the population.

[rickyhall]

15. As long as they both exist.

[GulfCoast66]

18. I don't disagree with anything you wrote.

But all I can deal with is what I see now.

Our evangelical population is rapidly crashing. Too bad it’s not everywhere.

[abqtommy]

3. Some people do take their hate seriously.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Yes they do.

Some even go as far to make excuses for the hate of others as well, all while pretending to be not bigots. He had to defeat someone before even facing the dreaded Israeli.

[Shoeless Louis]

4. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

[JohnSJ]

8. +++

[Rustyeye77]

6. You're mistaken

they don't want to deal with the shame of losing to a Jew.

[FreepFryer]

9. The shame and the risk to the athlete's life, family, etc. if he embarrasses Algeria in fundie eyes.

Bigotry works that way. It self-justifies and self-polices.

[twodogsbarking]

11. You are saved if you belong to the one true religion.

Cracks me up every time.

[cab67]

13. I haven't given two shits about the Olympics for a very long time.

Beyond the doping, cheating, allowing professional athletes to compete, and abuse of children in some sports, its ideals have never been met, and they never will be. Too many people are too biased against too many other people.

[twodogsbarking]

14. Yep. You nailed it.

[Dawson Leery]

16. The ancient olympics were the same.

Sports should be 100% private so the market can determine the matter.

This "man" should never have been born ->

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_de_Coubertin

[Polybius]

17. What an idiot

Bring the politics out of the Olympics.

[Mosby]

19. Another one now, from sudan.

[Jose Garcia]

20. What a coward