The Paris 2024 Olympic organizers announced Wednesday that Emily Gomis, a former French national basketball team player, has been removed from her role as the games' ambassador due to controversy surrounding her social media post about the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
On October 9th, two days after the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Gomis posted a story on Instagram displaying the Israeli flag gradually covering areas of the French map, accompanied by the question "What would you do in this situation?"
Gomis faced accusations of antisemitism and support for Hamas attacks, charges she vehemently denied.
In a statement from Paris 2024, "The board members and the general assembly took note that Emily Gomis condemned the attacks of October 7th in Israel and all forms of antisemitism and discrimination, which are contrary to her values. Gomis also expressed regret about her post and extended her apologies."
Nonetheless, the statement added, "The general assembly (of Paris 2024) deemed that this post was inconsistent with the obligation of neutrality and no longer allowed her to fulfill her duties towards Paris 2024 without bias."
The controversy surrounding Gomis, an athlete of Senegalese origin who represented the French national team for over a decade and secured the 2009 European Championship title, is the latest thorny issue facing the Games that are already struggling with geopolitical tensions due to the war in Ukraine and Gaza.
Antisemitism
In a subsequent social media post, Gomis stated, "The accusations of antisemitism I face are completely contrary to the values instilled in me and taught to me by sports," and she apologized to all those who felt offended.
Gomis has a following of 17.7 thousand on her Instagram account.
The Paris 2024 organizing committee expressed its wishes for a happy and safe Olympic Games for everyone, yet the organizers are concerned the event could become politically entangled amidst the ongoing war in Gaza, Ukraine, and France's domestic security challenges.
Tony Estanguet, the President of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, stated, "It's clear that the international context is particularly tense today."
Estanguet had referred Gomis's case to the ethics committee, which concluded last month that her post constituted "a serious violation of the ethical obligations."
