As a sign of friendship, Iranian refugee Saeid Mollaei dedicated his Olympic silver medal in judo to Israel, a gesture encapsulating the spirit of the Games. “This medal is also dedicated to Israel and I hope the Israelis appreciate this achievement,” Mollaei said before thanking his friends in the Jewish state in Hebrew.
Two years ago, the Iranian regime ordered Mollaei to lose in the semifinals of the world championships to avoid facing Israel’s Sagi Muki in the final. After speaking out against the mullahs, Mollaei was forced to flee the Islamic Republic. Now, he represents Mongolia and calls Muki his “brother.”
In another act of sportsmanship, the Israeli coach of the Czech men’s basketball team shook hands with his Iranian counterpart. Despite these demonstrations of our common humanity, competitors from Algeria and Sudan refused to face Israeli opponents in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, young Israeli athletes are breaking records. On Saturday, 19-year-old Avishag Semberg won Israel’s first-ever medal in taekwondo. Anastasia Gorbenko, 17, made history on Monday by becoming the first Israeli woman to reach the final in the 100-meter backstroke.
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Featured Image: Sabau Gabriela/IJF
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
