LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Sports column ignores the facts

Re: “The stain on the Paris Olympics”, and “Olympic Shame, Olympic horror”, from the column As I See It, by James Loewen, published in the July 25 and August 4 issues of The Carillon.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to see how James Loewen’s extremely biased “opinions” about the Israel-Hamas war fall within even the broadest parameters of journalistic integrity, never mind sports. His disturbingly distorted portrayal of the conflict ignores the facts and borders on inciting antisemitism.

For some reason, Loewen chooses to dismiss the fact that on Oct. 7, 2023, it was Israel which was brutally attacked by Hamas in a terrorist assault that intentionally targeted civilians, including men, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled. Even the United Nations Human Rights Office of the Commissioner finally admitted “that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups were responsible for the war crimes of intentionally directing attacks against civilians, murder or willful killing, torture, inhuman or cruel treatment, destroying or seizing the property of an adversary, outrages upon personal dignity, and taking hostages.”

Hamas has made no secret of its genocidal dream to annihilate the state of Israel and the Jewish people. The barbarism of Oct. 7 was not some kind of spontaneous Palestinian uprising to protest living conditions in Gaza, it was a premediated, carefully planned terrorist assault launched as part of Hamas’ determination to exterminate the Jewish people and eradicate their homeland. Arguments by Loewen to the contrary, which paint Israel as the aggressor while ignoring its legitimate right to defend itself and secure its borders, ignore the historical record, and provide cover for Hamas’ extremist agenda.

To defend his blinkered view of reality, Loewen points to the devastating and heart-wrenching impact that the war has had on the citizens of Gaza. While I concur completely that the loss of civilian life and the brutal humanitarian impact of the war is heart-wrenching, Loewen refuses to recognize that the responsibility for this devastation lies squarely with Hamas who initiated the war, refuses to acknowledge defeat, and routinely and strategically sacrifices its civilians by using them as human shields.

The undeniable reality is that the violence and loss of life could end immediately if Hamas would free the hostages, lay down their arms and surrender all the terrorists who carried out the Oct. 7 attack. But Loewen ignores this fact as well. Instead, he props up Hamas’ narrative and parrots their talking points by blaming Israel for the devastation in Gaza rather than acknowledging that it is Hamas and their willingness to sacrifice both Gaza and the Palestinian people in pursuit of their genocidal agenda which has initiated and prolongs the conflict.

If Loewen truly wants the war to end, he should be calling on Hamas to surrender. But instead of doing so, he is calling for the International Olympic Committee to ban Israelis from competing in the Olympics and suggests that a refusal to do so is a “moral stain”.

This is the kind of unhinged narrative that is stoking antisemitism around the world. At an Olympic soccer game, the Israeli athletes were greeted with shouts of “Heil Hitler”. Here at home, Canada has experienced a record number of antisemitic attacks since the Oct. 7th terrorist attack including shootings, firebombings and other violent acts targeted at the Jewish community and Jewish institutions across the country. Most recently, the RCMP announced that they arrested two men who were planning to carry out a terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS in the Greater Toronto Area.

Loewen is entitled to his opinions. But before exploiting his position as a sports commentator to spew them, he should take some time to review the facts and reflect on the very real impact that misinformation has on the lives of innocent people. As he said himself, “The Olympics are supposed to be a celebration of the human spirit and a showcase of human potential.” I would propose that this year, these values have been best exemplified by the presence and participation of the 88 Israeli athletes who came to Paris to compete in the face of death threats and rising antisemitism. I applaud their courage.