Swiss broadcaster takes down commentary questioning presence of Israeli bobsleigh athlete

Swiss broadcaster RTS says it has pulled from its website the commentary on an Olympic bobsleigh run in which one reporter questioned at length the presence of an Israeli athlete in Milano Cortina because of his alleged support for Israel’s actions in the Gaza war.

The commentary on Radio Television Suisse was aired throughout one of the runs of Israelis AJ Edelman and Chen Menachem in the two-man bobsleigh event yesterday.

“Our journalist wished to question the IOC’s policy regarding the statements made by the athlete concerned,” RTS says in a statement to Reuters. “However, although factual, such information may have appeared inappropriate due to its length within the context of a sports commentary. For this reason, we removed the segment from our website last night.”

Commentator Stefan Renna said during the two-man bobsleigh team’s first appearances on the ice yesterday at the Milano Cortina Olympics that Edelman had offered “support of genocide in Gaza.” Renna, who cited the UN for his use of the word “genocide,” also called out Edelman for calling the war “the most morally just in history” and for mocking “Free Palestine” graffiti during a World Cup event last year.

“This raises his the question of his presence in Cortina during these Games,” said Renna, pointing to International Olympic Committee guidelines that allows Russian athletes to compete only as “individual neutral athletes” and only as long as they have not expressed or participated in pro-war activity. Those guidelines do not apply to athletes from other countries. Competitors are allowed to express themselves in any way outside of Olympic sites and venues, according to IOC guidelines.

The IOC says that questions about individual comments made by commentators must be directed to broadcasters. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation does not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Renna, who has been forbidden by RTS from discussing his commentary, also cited the case of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the Olympics last week for wearing a helmet depicting compatriot athletes killed since the Russian invasion.

Edelman and Menachem are due to complete their third and fourth runs today. They were in last place after their first two runs.

Edelman wrote on social media that he was “aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team.” Dismissing the rhetoric, Edelman praised his team for “working together towards an incredible goal and crushing it. Because that’s what Israelis do. I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary.”