Israeli Occupation Blocks Palestinian Olympic Team Chief from Traveling

“Israel did not give Issam Qishta a permit to leave Gaza and therefore he was not able to join the rest of the Olympic team in Brazil,” Munther Masalmeh, Secretary General of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) news agency on Tuesday.

The Secretary General however told DPA news agency the trainer and the deputy head of the committee, who are also from Gaza, were given permits. The Israeli occupation’s foreign ministry, Emmanuel Nahshon, said his government was “doing its best” on allowing Qishta to join the rest of the Palestinian team “as soon as possible.”

The occupation didn’t stop there; the Palestinian team joining in the Olympics had to buy equipment in Brazil, although they had equipment already donated from friends of Palestine. The reason behind this was that the Israeli authorities had prevented entry of their equipment into the Palestinian areas, demanding them to pay taxes, entry fees or sometimes under claims of national security, according to the Secretary General.

WE SAID THIS: We have our fingers crossed for you. Hang on, Palestine!