Israeli athletes and visitors to the Olympic Games in Paris are in danger of attacks from Iranian operatives and other terrorist groups, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned in a diplomatic note to his French counterpart Thursday.
"We have intelligence indicating that Iranian operatives and other terrorist groups are planning to target members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists," Katz said in the message to French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, reports Israel Hayom.
Katz expressed his "profound gratitude" for the "extraordinary security measures" that have been implemented by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Séjourné, and the French government to safeguard Israel's delegation, but stressed that "some are attempting to cast a shadow over this celebratory event."
"We continue to receive intelligence about the potential threat from Iranian operatives and other terrorist groups planning to target Israeli delegation members and tourists during the Olympics," he added. "This underscores the critical importance of our joint commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all participants."
Katz further commented on the efforts underway to counter hostile elements who are trying to delegitimize Israel's participation in the games and said he is grateful for an offer to host a memorial ceremony for the 11 Israeli athletes who Palestinian militants killed during the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
His alert to the French government came after Israel's National Security Council issued a travel warning Wednesday to citizens planning to visit Paris for the 2024 Olympics, which also noted the potential of terrorist threats and protests targeting Israel's athletes.
The advisory was issued after a Palestinian terrorist group released a video online that included a direct threat to the Olympic Games.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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