The organizing committee for the Paris 2024 Olympics will hold an urgent meeting today, Wednesday, to discuss the controversy surrounding a social media post about the war in Gaza made by Olympics ambassador and former French basketball player Émilie Gomis. On October 9, two days after Hamas's surprise attack on Israel, Gomis posted a story on Instagram showing an Israeli flag gradually covering parts of a map of France, accompanied by the question, "What would you do in this situation?".
Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, stated in radio comments, "I have scheduled a board meeting today to make a decision regarding this matter." He added, "It is a very important issue because all representatives of the Paris 2024 Olympics have a responsibility to welcome all delegations as we will host the world starting July 26."
Critics accused the former basketball player of anti-Semitism and supporting Hamas's attack, which Gomis strongly denied. The controversy surrounding Gomis, a retired athlete of Senegalese descent who represented France for over 10 years and won the 2009 European Championship, is the latest thorny issue facing the Games, which are already grappling with geopolitical tensions due to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
