Moroccan Judoka refuses Israeli handshake
**The IOC warned about the Olympic Games in Paris regarding the Gaza War for discriminatory behavior by athletes. A Judoka refuses a handshake to an Israeli. An Algerian Judoka is suspended, as he did not meet the weight limit.
A Moroccan Judoka refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent at the Olympic Games in Paris after the match in the 66 kg weight class. Abderrahmane Boushita did not shake Baruch Shmailov's hand after the fight, according to Israel's Judo Federation's Instagram post. Shmailov had won the first round but was eliminated in the second round and missed a medal.
Moreover, the Olympic organizers announced that Algerian Judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris was suspended before his match in the 73 kg weight class on Monday because he did not meet the weight limit. Dris was supposed to face Israeli Tohar Butbul in his first match. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had already warned before the Paris Games about discriminatory behavior by athletes in light of the Gaza War. The Israeli delegation is protected around the clock by the French police in Paris.
In Judo, there are often refused handshakes. A bow after the end of the fight is mandatory, but a handshake is not prescribed. At the Tokyo Games, for example, the Algerian Judoka Fethi Nourine did not participate for political reasons to avoid a possible duel with an Israeli. Nourine was suspended from the Judo World Federation for ten years as a result. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the Egyptian Judoka Islam El Shehaby refused to shake hands with Israeli Or Sasson after his defeat.
The International Olympic Committee had previously issued a warning about potential discriminatory behavior by athletes during the Olympic Games in Paris, due to the ongoing Gaza War. Despite this warning, a Moroccan Judoka chose not to shake hands with his Israeli opponent after their match in Paris.
