PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Israeli athletes were “welcome” at the Paris Olympics, rejecting calls for a boycott by some left-wing French lawmakers and the Palestinian Olympic Committee.
“Israeli athletes are welcome in our country. They must be able to compete under their colors because the Olympic movement decided that,” he told France 2 television in an interview, adding that “it is France's responsibility to provide them with security.”
“I condemn in the strongest possible way anyone who creates risks for these athletes and implicitly threatens them,” he said.
He added that Israel had “the right to defend itself” but called the ongoing bombing of Gaza – where 39,090 people have died, according to the latest estimate by the Hamas-run health ministry – “unacceptable”.
“France was one of the first countries in Europe to call for a ceasefire,” he added.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed he would attend the Olympics' opening ceremony on Friday, and Macron said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would also be “welcome” but was not expected to because he was in the United States.
Discussing the opening ceremony of the Paris Games as helicopters could be heard hovering over the capital in the background, Macron said “on Friday night we will all see why it was worth the trouble”.
Much of central Paris is off-limits ahead of the ceremony on the River Seine, with 45,000 security forces and 10,000 soldiers on duty to prevent any incident from spoiling the show.
“There is a security challenge and it applies to all the capital cities that organize the games,” Macron said. “That goes for the opening ceremony. It will be true for the entire games.”
“We must come together as a France that welcomes the world,” added the centrist, who called early elections in June that led to a political deadlock in parliament.
Asked about the artists scheduled to perform Friday night, he said it would be “fantastic news” if Quebec-born singer Celine Dion could attend, but declined to confirm her presence.
Dion was spotted in Paris, while Lady Gaga's City of Light video also fueled rumors that she could be one of the top international performers.
