French Diplomatic Source to VOA: We Are Aware of Threats Against Israeli Athletes at the Olympics

A French diplomatic source told VOA that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of threats against Israeli athletes participating in the Olympics. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed on Friday, August 5, that 'in fact, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a letter to the [French Ministry of Foreign Affairs],' but deferred comments on the content of this letter to Israeli officials. The source, again wishing to remain anonymous, stated without referring to the possible origin of the threats to VOA's Persian section: 'We are aware of the threats against Israeli athletes. As French officials have said, Israeli delegations and nationals are receiving the highest level of possible security.' They refrained from commenting on the 'ongoing investigations.' Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, posted on social media platform 'X' on Friday, stating that sabotage of French railway infrastructure ahead of the Paris Olympics was 'designed and executed under the influence of the axis of evil of Iran and radical Islam.' Katz added that in recent days he warned his French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, that based on information Israel has, the Islamic Republic of Iran is 'planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli convoy and all participants in the Olympics.' The Israeli Foreign Minister did not provide further details on this statement. In this message, he called for increased preventive measures to neutralize the 'conspiracy' of the Iranian regime and added that the free world must stop the Islamic Republic before it is too late. The permanent representation office of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New York denied the involvement of the Islamic Republic and affiliated groups in plotting against Israeli athletes and tourists in France. This diplomatic office, despite decades of the Iranian regime and its proxy groups' history of terrorist actions against Jews and Israelis, as well as Iranian opponents of the Islamic Republic worldwide, claimed that terrorist actions are not among the methods used by the 'resistance axis.' Meanwhile, a French sports news agency reported on Friday that the French police have begun investigations into threats against Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel. According to this agency, an anonymous user on social media X called for an attack on Isaac Herzog during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The French National Railway Company warned on Friday, August 5, that the high-speed train network in the country has been affected by 'sabotage actions including arson,' leading to disruptions in some railway lines just hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. An informed source in this regard told AFP that these attacks and coordinated actions were 'sabotage' and negatively impacted the travel plans of tens of thousands of people. The French National Railway Company also told AFP: 'This is a large-scale attack aimed at paralyzing the high-speed train network, and train movements on many routes must be canceled.' The company stated that this situation will continue until Sunday, August 7, for repairs. Reuters also reported that the lines connecting Paris to cities like Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west, and Strasbourg in the east of France were targeted by these attacks. Meanwhile, Patrice Vergriete, the French Minister of Transport, wrote on social media 'X' that he 'strongly condemns these criminal incidents' and emphasized that the National Railway Company is working to restore traffic to normal conditions. The National Railway Company of France has asked passengers to postpone their travels. Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, the Paris prosecutor's office announced that it has begun investigations and stated that it 'has jurisdiction to handle crimes related to property destruction that threaten public interests.' Accordingly, the acts of these attacks could result in 15 to 20 years in prison and fines ranging from 150,000 to 225,000 euros. Security measures in France have intensified in conjunction with the Paris Olympics; the second suspect in the attack has been arrested, and seven people in Belgium have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack.