Israel’s national fencing team in the épée category returned home Tuesday morning from a tournament in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, still reeling from a deeply disturbing incident during the competition in which the Israeli flag, which was hanging alongside other nations’ flags, was replaced with a Palestinian flag.
The incident occurred on the second day of the competition in a small hall that was overcrowded due to weather-related closures of an adjacent tent. A few hours into the matches, a member of the Israeli delegation noticed the flag was missing.
Security footage from the venue later revealed that someone not only replaced the Israeli flag with a Palestinian one but also filmed the act and posted it on social media.
“It’s very sad that this is what we had to deal with instead of focusing on the competition,” an Israel Fencing Association spokesperson said. “Police were called, and the organizers quickly restored our flag. Unfortunately, the perpetrators were not identified. It's deeply upsetting.”
The association expressed cautious trust in the tournament organizers’ claim that they hadn’t noticed the change earlier due to multiple malfunctions and general chaos in the hall.
“It’s unfortunate that young athletes had to endure an antisemitic experience during an international competition,” said Israel Fencing Association CEO Irina Tal. She recalled a previous incident where the Swiss delegation turned their backs during the Israeli national anthem. “These athletes are just 17 to 22 years old—they shouldn't have to go through this. We come here for sport. There’s no place for antisemitism, political expression or acts like this in sports competitions.”