When the Olympics Become a Stage for Selective Morality

The members of Israel’s Olympic bobsled team: (from left, clockwise) Omer Katz, Ward Fawarseh, Uri Zisman, AJ Edelman, Menachem Chen, Itamar Shprinz. With the team’s mascot Lulu. Photo: Provided

The Olympic Games were never meant to exist in a moral vacuum. From their earliest origins, they were an attempt to civilize conflict.

The ancient Olympic Games emerged in a violent world of warring Greek city-states. During the Games, hostilities were paused so athletes and spectators could travel safely.