Why it matters:
French athlete Doria Boursas’ refusal to shake hands with Israeli judoka Kerem Primo, though permitted under judo rules, was widely interpreted as a symbolic stance against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The big picture:
Boursas, recently crowned French Junior Champion in the under-63kg category, defeated Primo in the quarter-finals of the European Junior Judo Championships in Bratislava.
Go deeper:
The incident comes amid heightened global scrutiny of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, where thousands of civilians have been killed. Boursas’ gesture adds to a growing list of athletes using international platforms to express political dissent.
Hossein Amiri - Mojtaba Darabi
