Iranians shake hands with Israelis
Weightlifter gets life suspension for shaking hands
8/30/2023 2:57 p.m
Iran does not recognize Israel as a state, the Islamic Republic is an archenemy of the Jewish country. Iranian athletes are banned from competing against Israelis. A weightlifter is suspended for shaking hands with a competitor.
An Iranian weightlifter has been suspended by authorities in his home country after he shook hands with an Israeli competitor at the World Seniors Championships in Poland. “The Weightlifting Association has banned athlete Mostafa Rajai from all sports facilities in the country for life and dismissed the head of the delegation for the competition, Hamid Salehinia,” the Irna news agency quoted a corresponding decision as saying.
Rajai shook hands with Israeli weightlifter Maksim Svirsky on Saturday as both stood on the podium at a Worldmasters series event in Wieliczka, Poland. Both had won a silver medal. A photo posted on social media showed Rajai with an Iranian flag around his neck next to a coach and an Israeli athlete.
Judoka fled because of threats
The Islamic Republic of Iran, a sworn enemy of Israel, does not recognize the Jewish state and bans all contact between Iranian and Israeli athletes. According to the agency Irna, Rajai “crossed a red line”. Rajai represented his country at the 2015 Asian Championships in Thailand.
Again and again encounters between hostile countries at sporting events make headlines. Iranian athletes are asked not to compete against athletes from Israel. They often pretend injuries or something similar.
Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei fled Iran in 2019 to protest the ban. He was forced by his federation to lose on purpose through threats against him and his family at the 2019 World Cup in order not to have to play against Sagi Muki from Israel in the final. At the Olympic Games, Mollaei, who lives in Germany, won silver in the class up to 81 kilograms. He competed for Mongolia.