Palestine at the Olympics: Meet the four athletes determined to raise Palestine’s flag at the Paris podium

Athletes from 206 countries are now racing to finalise their last training sessions before this year’s Summer Olympics kick off in Paris on July 26, among them, eight Palestinians.

Only 27 athletes have ever represented Palestine at the Olympic Games as the Palestinian Olympic Committee was not recognised by the International Olympic Committee until 1995. 

Majed Abu Maraheel was the first to represent Palestine in the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

Almost 30 years later, Palestinians continue to struggle for recognition as Israel conducts the biggest offensive campaign over the Gaza Strip, having left a death toll that could exceed 186,000 people according to The Lancet medical journal.

The New Arab speaks to Valerie Tarazi, Fares Bedawi, Waseem Abu Sal and Omar Yaser Ismail; four athletes determined to raise the Palestinian flag at the Olympics’ podium as a form of resistance.

'We hear about athletes, our friends and teammates dying' - Valerie Tarazi

Valerie Tarazi, the 24-year-old representing Palestine in the swimming category, comes from one of the oldest Christian families in the Gaza Strip.

Born and raised in the United States, she was never able to visit Gaza because of the American government’s restrictions. She had fulfilled the requirements to finally do it last Christmas, a dream that faded when the first news emerged on the eve of October 7.

“I was in China with the entire Palestinian delegation at the Asian Games until very early October, we were all working together as one,” she remembers from the few days before it all started. 

“I had a very good friend who was a volleyball player, he was from Gaza,” she tells The New Arab.

“Maybe two weeks into the war, I was sitting in one of my classes and one of our federation members gave me a phone call and he said, Val, you know the beach volleyball player you were very good friends with? He passed away in a bombing a few hours ago.”

Valerie’s friend Ibrahim Qassi’a was unfortunately not the only athlete killed during the ongoing Israeli offensive over Gaza.

Estimates from activists in Gaza state that around 350 sports players and athletes have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on the enclave on October 7.

Among them was Hani al-Masdar, the coach of the Palestinian Olympic football team who was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City last January.

“We hear about athletes and about our friends and teammates dying and it is just hard, but it also gives us all the more reason to want to be here and want to raise the flag for them,” says Valerie, who also lost four family members in the bombardment of Saint Phorphyrius Church, the third oldest in the world. 

'I promised to do whatever it takes to raise my country's flag on the top of the podium' - Omar Yaser Ismail

These pieces of news feel too heavy for some of the athletes. 

Omar Yaser Ismail is an 18-year-old taekwondo player whose family comes from the West Bank city of Jenin despite being raised in the United Arab Emirates.

He is also the first Palestinian to qualify directly in any Olympic combat sport. His intense training days before the start of the games and his disconnection from social media made it hard to get a moment with him. 

“I am focusing on Paris and off social media, I am not even watching what is happening [in Palestine], I do not want to think about it,” he says with a sour tone.

“Watching people suffering would actually affect me and so I am off the news to be in good shape for the Olympics,” he adds,  something athletes from other countries would not even have to consider. 

Having dreamt of reaching the games since he was a small kid, he does not want anything to decrease his chances of getting to the highest stages of the competition. 

“Palestinian athletes, like any other athletes, can achieve their dreams, we are fully fit for this high-level competition and can also reach the top of the podium in Paris,” he says with determination.

So far, no Palestinian has ever won a medal in the seven other games they have participated in. 

“I promised to give my all and do whatever it takes to raise my country's flag on the top of the podium,” he says.

“We will show the world the strengths and spirit of our nation.”

After mobility restrictions and checkpoints 'my presence here is a big thing' - Waseem Abu Sal 

That strength is very much seen in the stories of the two other Palestinian athletes.

Waseem Abu Sal, the 20-year-old boxer representing Palestine at the Olympics, comes from Ramallah in the West Bank.

His years of training and competing before this international tournament were marked by the daily struggles of life under the Israeli occupation.

Mobility restrictions, checkpoints and military controls between cities limited Waseem’s ability to train with other Palestinian athletes and attend sporting events, making his presence in the Olympics this year an achievement in itself. 

“One of my dear friends, Bader Saoud, was supposed to come with me, but due to the war, he got stuck in Jordan and could not travel. Another younger boxer lost his eye and could not make the previous tournaments. The occupation took his dream,” he tells The New Arab downheartedly.

“That's why my presence here is a big thing.”

An 'opportunity that we have to exploit smartly as athletes' - Fares Bedawi

As is the presence of Fares Bedawi, the 27-year-old Palestinian fighting for the judo gold metal.

Born and raised in the Yarmouk Refugee Camp in Syria — the biggest refugee camp for Palestinians outside the Palestinian territories — his family has lived there since his grandparents were forced to leave their home from the ethnically cleansed Palestinian village of Tarshiha, Acre.

“After the Syrian war started, my family decided to migrate to Germany, yet again after my grandparents had already migrated years ago,” he says almost laughing to alleviate the pain.

“I had to migrate again myself, this time through the sea.”

Fares, who had been competing at Yarmouk’s camp sports centre since he was young until reaching the highest stages of the Syrian judo scene, found himself in Germany with the only option to train with the Olympic Refugee team.

Only a few years ago he was able to get in touch with the Palestinian Olympic Committee and join the team.

“It is a very special feeling to be able to compete under your dear home country.”

These Palestinian athletes are not only here to compete in the sports but are also ready to use their platform to shed light on the events affecting their people, which will be highly monitored during the competition.

The Olympics’ organisers want to see the event free of political messages and controversies, especially when it comes to those tied to the Russia-Ukraine war and the brutal Israeli offensive on Gaza. 

Nonetheless, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that no Russian flag will be flown during the competition, banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from displaying national signs.

Moreover, the International Gymnastics Federation decided not to include any Russian gymnasts on the list of athletes allowed to participate in qualifying competitions for the 2024 Olympics.

Yet, such actions have not been imposed on Israel.

What is worse, French basketball player Emilie Gomis had to step down as an ambassador to the Olympics as she was accused of “breaking her neutrality” for condemning Israel’s attacks on Gaza on Instagram. 

“Yes, we are here to compete, but we are also here to be the voice of all of the Palestinians around the world,” Valerie Tarazi states decisively.

During the days before the Olympics opening ceremony, Valerie has given several interviews and public speeches highlighting the struggles of the Palestinian people.

“I will take every single interview that I am offered because I will use my voice and spread my story and the story of others,” she says.

“Our purpose is far more than a race or a match or competition — our purpose is to show the world that, we [Palestinians] are here.”

Fares agrees., stating, “Our presence in this international competition is a big win for the Palestinian people and raising our Palestinian flag is proof to the world that we do exist.

“I consider it a very important opportunity that we as athletes exploit this smartly, express our voices to the world, shed light on the things that are happening in Palestine, and be a role model for our youth.” 

Bianca Carrera is a freelance writer and analyst specialising in Middle Eastern and North African politics and society. She has written for Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Al-Quds Al-Araby, EU Observer and others. She is based between Spain, Morocco and Egypt

Follow her on X: @biancacarrera25