With the Olympic Games set to commence in just 24 hours (July 26,) Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reached out to his French counterpart on Thursday with a grave message: "We have intelligence indicating that Iranian operatives and other terrorist groups are planning to target members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists."
In a diplomatic note to French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Katz highlighted Israel's growing concern over intelligence assessments suggesting that Iranian operatives and other terrorist organizations intend to launch attacks against Israeli Olympians and visitors during the Games.
Katz conveyed his appreciation to President Macron and the French Foreign Minister for deploying unprecedented security measures to protect Israeli athletes and tourists. He also commended their efforts to counter hostile elements attempting to delegitimize Israel's participation in the Olympic Games. Furthermore, Katz expressed gratitude for the offer to host the memorial ceremony for the 11 Munich Olympics victims at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris.
"Some are attempting to cast a shadow over this celebratory event," Katz emphasized. "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. This underscores the critical importance of our joint commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all participants."
"I want to convey my profound gratitude for the extraordinary security measures the French government has implemented to safeguard the Israeli delegation and tourists. This stands as a clear testament to President Macron and the French government's resolve to confront those hostile elements seeking to undermine the legitimacy of Israel's Olympic participation. Additionally, I deeply appreciate your and President Macron's unequivocal condemnation of the recent inflammatory rhetoric against Israeli athletes in Paris."
