Israel's under-23 men's fencing team struck gold at the European Championships Saturday – but the celebration turned tense when the Swiss silver medalists staged a podium protest during the Israeli national anthem.
Moments after Israel’s 45–34 victory in the epee final, in Tallinn, Estonia, Switzerland's fencers climbed the second-place podium – and defiantly turned their backs as Hatikvah played across the arena.
The silent protest, widely interpreted as a response to Israel's military operations in Gaza, cast a political shadow over the ceremony.
A representative of the Israel Fencing Association said, "Sport should bring people together, not divide them." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar went further, blasting the Swiss athletes for their "disrespectful behavior" and calling it a "disgrace" to Switzerland.
The Swiss team’s protest echoed a similar stand from Iraq's national fencing team last May.
At the World Cup stage in Istanbul, Iraqi fencers withdrew rather than face Israeli opponents, citing Baghdad’s law criminalizing normalization with Israel and reaffirming solidarity with Palestine.
Despite winning without playing, Israel’s fencing federation praised its athletes – Alon Sarid, Fyodor Khaperski, Yonatan Masika, and Itamar Tavor – and their coach, Alexander Ivanov, calling their gold medal "an extraordinary achievement" and a "great source of national pride."
The Swiss protest comes amid a surge of global outrage over Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza, following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas incursion on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
Israel's bombardment and ground offensive have since devastated large parts of Gaza, fueling widespread condemnation and protests around the world.
