Swiss broadcaster calls out Israel's genocide in Gaza during Winter Olympics coverage

COVERAGE from a Swiss public broadcaster has gone viral online after a commentator highlighted an Israeli athlete’s past comments supporting Israel’s “morally just” genocide in Gaza while competing at the Winter Olympics.

Commentator Stefan Renna was covering the men’s bobsleigh event at the Milan-Cortina for the Swiss broadcaster RTS, where he brought up Israeli captain Adam Edelman’s past social media posts during the athlete’s second run on Monday.

During Edelman’s run, Renna shared his past messages of support for members in the Israeli Defence Force when they were deployed in Gaza, along with claiming the war on the territory is the “most morally just war in history”.

An inquiry by the United Nations (UN), published in September last year, found Israel has committed genocide in Palestine , with four of the five requirements for an offense to be considered genocide having been met.

The clip of the Swiss coverage of Edelman’s second run has gathered hundreds of thousands of views overnight, with the Israeli hitting back at Renna’s “diatribe” comments. However, many replies to the clip have been in favour of the broadcaster for putting his “career on the line” for reporting on the genocide.

During the two-minute-long video, Renna said: “Adam Edelman, first-time Olympian and self-defined Zionist to the core, who has posted several messages on social networks in support of genocide in Gaza.

“Genocide is the term used by the UN Commission of Inquiry into the region.

“Edelman, who described the Israeli military intervention as, and I quote: ‘The most morally just war in history’.

“He also mocked a ‘Free Palestine’ inscription on a wall in Lillehammer on the sidelines of a World Cup stage.

“He asked his followers to send strength to [Ward] Fawaresh when this member of the Israeli team, who is present here in Cortina, [and] was engaged in an operation by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip in 2023.”

Despite Edelman’s run coming to an end, Renna continued: “This raises the question of his presence in Cortina during these games, since the IOC had indicated that athletes who, and I quote: ‘Actively supported the war by participating in pro-war events, being military engaged or via their activities on their social networks were not eligible to participate’.

“That was for the Russian athletes, in order to allow some of them to compete under a neutral banner.

“We recall that a controversy has already erupted at the Eugenio Monti Centre over the refusal of a Ukrainian skeleton skier to relinquish a helmet bearing the effigy of Ukrainian athletes killed at the front during the Russian bombardments.

“The IOC has disqualified this skeleton competitor because he violated, in France, according to the body, the rule on political messages at competition venues, which goes to show, sport is obviously eminently political.”

He continued: “We have other examples of this year in Cortina, as is the case at every Olympic Games.

“In any case, Adam Edelman set the twenty-sixth and final cumulative time after the first two runs.”

Israel’s bobsleigh team, Shul Runnings, finished 26th out of 26 sleds, reportedly recording the slowest start and finish times in both heats.

Edelman, who reportedly holds dual Israeli and U.S. citizenship, replied to Renna coverage of his run at the Winter Olympics, praising his teammates as they worked “towards an incredible goal” and crushed it, adding “because that’s what Israelis do”.

(Image: Aijaz Rahi)

He said in a post on Twitter/X: “I am aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team on the Swiss Olympics broadcast today.

“I can’t help but notice the contrast: Shul Runnings is a team of 6 proud Israelis who’ve made it to the Olympic stage. No coach with us. No big program. Just a dream, grit, and unyielding pride in who we represent.

“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.”

Last week, Gaza’s Government Media Office has reported that the Israeli military has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 1500 times since it came into effect, with panic spreading among Palestinians about further escalations.

Israel has killed at least 72,037 people and wounded 171,666 since October 2023, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Swiss broadcaster calls out Israel’s genocide in Gaza during Winter Olympics coverage

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