Swiss commentary on Israeli Olympic bobsleigh team termed ‘discriminatory’
Summary
Switzerland’s Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television ruled that French-language broadcaster RTS commentary about Israeli bobsledder Adam Edelman during the February Winter Olympics breached discrimination rules. The panel voted 5-4, finding that the commentary singled him out and suggested he should be excluded because of his political views.Key Facts
- The commentary aired on RTS during the Israeli team’s bobsleigh run on February 16.
- Commentator Stefan Reina described Edelman as “a Zionist to the core” and discussed his social media statements about the war in Gaza.
- The authority said the commentary focused on Edelman’s social media statements throughout the run.
- Four members of the public filed complaints about the broadcast, and the nine-member panel upheld them by a 5-4 vote.
- The authority said the commentary conveyed a stigmatizing and discriminatory message and treated Edelman differently from the other athletes competing that day.
- RTS removed the segment from its website after it circulated on social media.
- The authority said it would publish its full reasoning and requested measures at a later date; appeals may be filed with Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court.
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