Within a ring of steel, Israelis and Malians share a joyous two hours

If Paris was looking for an omen that these Games can hold together against the destructive geopolitical forces bearing down on the Olympic city, then perhaps it found one on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes stadium.

With Israel drawn to play Mali, a former French colony which doesn’t formally recognise the Jewish state, in the middle of a deadly Middle East conflict and a global rise in antisemitism, French authorities prepared for trouble.

Instead, we got what this night should have always been about – a joyous crowd in vibrant team colours, a hard-fought football game and no attempt, either inside or outside the stadium, to turn this Olympic group match into something else.

There was no separation of fans, with Israeli supporters draped in the Star of David cheering next to Malians caped in red, yellow and green and a glorious mash-up of kippahs and braided locks. The governments of these two nations haven’t been on speaking terms for 50 years, but here, rival fans spontaneously embraced and posed together for photographs.

The final score, a 1-1 draw, seemed a fitting place to leave things. The only reminder of the political backdrop to this match was the hoots and whistles that accompanied the Israeli national anthem and a few brief, angry words between a small group of fans wrapped in Palestinian flags and Israeli supporters before security intervened.

The police presence was extraordinary, with hundreds of national police, reserve police, gendarmes and the black-clad members of the BRI – France’s elite counter-terrorism brigade – encircling the stadium several hours before the teams took the field.

Israeli and Malian football fans shared a joyous two hours inside Paris’ Parc des Princes stadium.Credit: Eddie Jim

This event had been declared a “security-sensitive event”, but this jargon underplays both the seriousness of the risk assessment and severity of the police response. French police were expecting, at best, a large protest against Israel’s war in Gaza and potentially, something more dangerous.

If French President Emmanuel Macron wanted a clear, public demonstration of France’s determination to keep the Games safe ahead of Friday night’s opening ceremony, then this was a perfect dress rehearsal.

It should also put to rest where Paris stands on Israel’s participation at these Games.

Before this match, Macron tackled head-on the idea that Israel should have played no part in these Olympics.

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the IOC Session in Paris.Credit: Getty Images

Responding to lobbying by the Palestinian Olympic Committee and comments by a fellow national parliamentarian, Thomas Portes, that Israeli athletes should not be taking any part in the Games, Marcon used a television interview filmed against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower to publicly reject this notion.

“Israeli athletes are welcome in our country,” Macron told the France 2 TV channel.

“I condemn in the strongest possible way all those who create risks for these athletes and implicitly threaten them.”

For Macron, the only thing more pleasing that keeping public order at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night was the thunderous sound from the south of France, where 67,000 people shook the Marseille Stadium with a full-throated rendition of La Marseillaise before France’s opening football match against the USA.

Members of the BRI, France’s elite counter-terrorism brigade, were part of a heavy police presence at the Israel v Mali football match in Paris.Credit: Eddie Jim

Thomas Bach says the International Olympic Committee’s position is clear on Israel and other Olympic teams whose governments are at war. “We have two national Olympic committees with differences in the world of politics,” the IOC president said earlier this week. “The Olympic Games are competitions not between countries, they are competitions between athletes.”

While these sentiments sound Pollyanna, they ran true enough once Israeli and Malian spectators navigated the throttling security assigned to this match found their way inside the stadium.

David Benamozeg and Oren Mil travelled to Paris from Israel, determined not to let a terrible conflict at home stop them from seeing their national team play. Benamozeg wore an Israeli flag on his shoulders. “It’s a complicated moment, but it’s OK,” he said. “Bad people are all over the world. In Australia also. We feel safe.”

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was also a face in the crowd. He said he hoped his presence would show that, while the threats to these Games are real, people can feel safe walking into Olympic venues for the next two weeks.

The conflict in the Middle East, like the troubles that have taken Mali to the brink of civil war, show no sign of relenting. But if Israelis and Malians can share a football stadium for two hours without serious incident, then these Games have already found a purpose.

with Michael Gleeson

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