From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 26, 2024
Israeli athletes pose in front of the Eiffel Tour during Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleMembers 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.
Team Israel with the lovely view of Eiffel Tower at @Paris2024 ???? pic.twitter.com/JWjWidAKim
— Team Israel (@Olympic_Israel) July 26, 2024
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.
The Times of Israel Community.