IOC rejects Iraq's request to relocate Israeli flag at Paris 2024 Olympics
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) responded to Iraq's request to relocate or remove the Israeli flag in the 2024 Paris Olympics football stadiums.
Herda Raouf, head of the Iraqi delegation, told Agence France-Presse, “Upon arriving at Lyon Stadium, we saw the Iraqi flag alongside the Israeli one, despite the Israeli team not playing in Lyon.”
“The IOC representative refused Iraq's request, citing that the stadium displays all participating countries' flags in alphabetical order according to the Olympic charter,” he added.
Raouf further stated, "We sent a protest email to the IOC requesting a flag position change before Saturday's match against Argentina, but it was rejected once more."
Notably, Iraq refuses normalization with Israel and supports the Palestinian cause. The Iraqi government and political parties frequently condemn Israeli actions in Gaza and advocate for Palestinian rights in international forums. Iraq also aligns with regional partners who share similar views on the Israeli war on Gaza, where Israel killed at least 39,000 Palestinians, mainly children and women.
