Israeli athletes pose in front of the Eiffel Tour during Paris Olympics opening ceremony

Members of Israel’s delegation to the Paris Olympics pose in front of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony.

A historic boat parade down the River Seine launched the Paris Olympics with spectacular French flair earlier this evening, as the City of Light welcomed the world’s greatest athletes for a sporting extravaganza.

Braving torrential rain, some 300,000 people lined the river banks to cheer on the armada carrying competitors past the city’s iconic sights: the Eiffel Tower bearing the five Olympic rings, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.

The wildly ambitious display was the first time the Olympic opening ceremony has been staged outside the main stadium, making it the biggest-ever launch for the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

With extra security for Israeli athletes, plus a call from the Palestinian team for Israel to be excluded over the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, geopolitics has been an unwelcome intruder in the run-up.

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