Swiss U23 fencing team condemned for disrespecting Israel

Swiss Fencing has distanced itself from the actions of its athletes Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This Material May Not Be Published, Broadcast, Rewritten Or Redistribu

The Swiss épée fencing team set off a diplomatic storm at the U23 European Championships for refusing to face the Israeli flag during the medals ceremony.

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Following defeat against Israel in the final in Tallinn, the Swiss quartet – unlike the Israelis and the third-placed Italians – did not turn towards the flags during the winner’s national anthem.

The event was met with a barrage of criticism. Ian Hauri, Théo Brochard, Jonathan Fuhrimann, and Sven Vineis were accused of sending a political message related to the Middle East conflict. At least, that was how it was perceived in Israel.

There was harsh criticism even from the highest political level. “Shame on the Swiss team for their disrespectful behavior,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X. “You don’t know how to lose and behaved in a way that disgraces yourselves and your country.”

The Swiss Fencing Association issued a statement on Sunday morning: “Swiss Fencing has no sympathy for the team abusing the award ceremony for a political demonstration. However, it should be noted that our athletes congratulated the Israeli winners in a sporting manner after the final.”

Whether there will be consequences for the affected fencers has not yet been determined. Swiss Fencing will begin discussions with the U23 team after the athletes return from Estonia and then decide on any necessary measures.

“In principle, Swiss Fencing is of the opinion that sporting competitions are not suitable for political expressions, even though athletes are of course allowed to have their own personal opinions on world events,” the statement added.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said it had noted the reaction of the Israeli Foreign Minister. The Swiss Ambassador to Israel has congratulated the Israeli team on winning the title.

Switzerland was successful at the European Championships, winning three medals. Before the team silver, Hauri (gold) and Vineis (silver) had already celebrated a one-two victory in the individual events.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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