The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected demands from Spain’s government to suspend Israel, reaffirming that both Israel and Palestine are recognized members with equal rights under the Olympic Charter.
In a statement to Spanish media, the IOC said: “Both the National Olympic Committee of Israel and that of Palestine are recognized by the IOC and have the same rights. Both comply with the Olympic Charter and we continue working with them to mitigate the impact of the current conflict on athletes.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has led calls for Israel’s exclusion, arguing that its actions in Gaza should draw the same sporting sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. “While the barbarity continues, Israel cannot use international platforms to whitewash its presence,” Sánchez said. His government has compared Israel’s conduct to apartheid-era South Africa, when the IOC expelled the country from the 1964 Olympics and suspended its membership until 1992.
Israel dismissed the Spanish campaign as antisemitic and “a disgrace,” accusing Sánchez of fueling hostility through pro-Palestinian protests and appeals to sporting bodies. The Palestinian Olympic Committee has endorsed Spain’s position, citing thousands of deaths in Gaza and alleged violations of the Olympic Truce.
The IOC has previously banned other countries
The IOC countered that Israel’s case differs from Russia’s, noting that Moscow was sanctioned in 2023 for annexing Ukrainian sporting jurisdictions, whereas Israel has not sought to claim Palestine’s Olympic representation.
Former IOC deputy director Pere Miró explained: “We suspended Russia because it annexed territories belonging to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee. Israel’s Olympic Committee has never claimed Palestine as its own.”
Despite mounting political pressure, the IOC is standing firm, stressing its commitment to neutrality and pointing to the peaceful coexistence of Israeli and Palestinian athletes as a model for sport’s unifying role.