French Olympian suspended for posts against Jews, Israel and hostages
Runner Muhammad Abdallah Kounta apologizes, says ‘people who were there’ can attest to his love of France, opposition to ‘genocides and all forms of racism or injustice’
French 400-meter runner Muhammad Abdallah Kounta, who took part in the Paris Olympics, has been suspended by the French Athletics Federation after an X account dug up hate speech posted by the athlete, France’s sports minister said on Wednesday.
“The Federation’s president confirmed he has suspended the athlete and referred the matter both to the public prosecutor and to the Federation’s disciplinary committee,” Amelie Oudea-Castera said on X.
X account Sword of Salomon on Tuesday highlighted some tweets posted by Kounta between 2021 and 2024 in which he professed his hatred for Israel and Jews.
During the war in Gaza, the athlete retweeted posts asking that Allah “strike the Zionists” and ridiculing Shiri Bibas, one of 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7 rampage through southern Israel that left nearly 1,200 people dead, sparking the war in Gaza.
Hebrew media reported that on August 1, during the Olympics, Kounta retweeted a picture of Israeli Judoka Sagi Muki in army uniform, with a caption calling Muki a “child killer.”
After the revelations, Kounta posted a picture of himself wrapped in a French flag on his social media accounts, saying he was sorry if he had offended people.
JE SUIS FRANÇAIS, MUSULMAN ET FIER
Des personnes se sont amusées à fouiller dans mes tweets et à sortir certains de mes propos de leur contexte, en me créant une réputation d’anti-blanc, d’anti-France, d’antisémite, et j’en passe. pic.twitter.com/Ieq96ecc5t
— Muhammad Abdallah Kounta (@misryyy) August 14, 2024
“I’m against genocides and all forms of racism or injustice and I don’t think I need to prove how much I love my country. People who were there in the Stade de France can attest that fact,” Kounta said, referring to the site of the Paris Games’ athletic events.
Israel’s delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which ended on Sunday, was guarded round the clock by a Shin Bet security detail due to threats against them amid the Gaza war.
