A troubling video circulating on social media has raised further alarms and fear for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. A video released by a masked jihadi threatening significant violence in retaliation for Western support of Israel. This latest jihad threat highlights the broader theme: Islamic terrorists are targeting the Olympics and have managed to infiltrate the security apparatus.
In the minute-long clip released on Tuesday, an Arabic-speaking man, his face concealed by a keffiyeh (Palestinian war scarf), addresses “the people of France and the French President [Emmanuel] Macron,” warning them of dire consequences for their support of “the Zionist regime in its criminal war against the people of Palestine.”
“You provided Zionists with weapons; you helped murder our brothers and sisters, our children,” the jihadi states. “You invited the Zionists to the Olympic games. You will pay for what you have done.” Wearing dark attire and a Palestinian flag draped over his chest, the man ominously declares, “Rivers of blood will flow through the streets of Paris. This day is approaching, God willing. Allah is the greatest.”
The video concludes with the jihadi holding up a fake severed head, a chilling gesture that makes for a classic example of the barbarity and nature of Islamic threats. The Muslim’s affiliation with Hamas, known for its violent Islamic activities, amplifies the threat level after the group’s brutal and ruthless violent and sexual attacks on innocent Israelis on October 7 and subsequently on those people taken hostage in Gaza.
The clip was initially posted on an Egyptian news website and has since spread across various social media platforms. Despite the uncertainty surrounding its exact origins, the video makes clear the Islamic goal of carrying out terrorist attacks at the Summer Olympics, set to be the most heavily policed games in modern history. However, as RAIR Foundation has previously reported, security for the games has been infiltrated by jihadis from Qatar, whose goals are the same as Hamas and many other Islamic terrorist groups that it has supported and funded.
The Role of Qatar in Sponsoring Terrorism
France’s controversial decision to hire Qatari security forces for the Olympics has sparked outrage. Qatar is the leading sponsor of terrorism in the world, arguably even worse than Iran. The emirate has for decades cultivated a close relationship with the Islamic terror group, the Muslim Brotherhood, whose motto is: “Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has enjoyed Qatar as its main sponsor, receiving up to $360 million a year.
In 2012, Hamas leaders moved to Qatar for a life of luxury. Recently, due to Israel’s announcement that it would hunt down and eliminate Hamas leaders in Qatar and Turkey, these leaders reportedly fled to other countries.
Qatar was also home to Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, who shaped the concept of violent jihad and allowed terror attacks, including suicide bombings against Israeli citizens and US forces in Iraq. Qatar continues to fund radical Islamic organizations operating across the world and is the creator and funder of the Islamic propaganda agency acting as a news service, Al Jazeera. In fact, Al Jazeera was created in 1996 by the Qatari government.
Threats to Israeli Athletes
Israeli Olympic athletes have also been receiving threatening messages by email and phone in the last week. The first messages were sent to 15 athletes’ emails, signed by an entity that identified itself as “the People’s Defense Organization,” which doesn’t exist. The messages threatened harm to any Israeli presence at the Olympics, invoking the memory of the Munich 1972 massacre where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed.
Despite security officials stating that bots generated these threats, the Israeli Olympic Committee remains on high alert. Some athletes, including the Opening Ceremony flagbearer, have even received invitations to their own funerals.
Ongoing Terrorist Threats and Recent Arrests
The new video comes amid an already tense atmosphere in France. Just today, French security forces arrested an 18-year-old jihadi in Gironde, suspected of planning an Islamic terrorist attack during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Officers from the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) made the arrest and once again spotlighted the severe security challenges facing France.
The young suspect, who had expressed his intent to carry out a violent act during the Games, was taken into custody for “criminal terrorist association” as part of an investigation by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT). This arrest is part of a broader pattern of terrorism-related detentions in France, showcasing the ongoing threat posed by radicalized Islamic individuals.
Security Measures for the Olympics
In response to these threats, French authorities are trying to protect the games as best they can. An elite French anti-terrorist unit vows to establish a “ring of steel” around Israeli athletes, and armed Israeli agents have been dispatched to Paris to bolster security amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and anticipated pro-Palestine demonstrations.
France plans to deploy 35,000 police officers daily throughout the event, with numbers rising to 45,000 for the Opening Ceremony, according to reports. This massive security presence highlights the seriousness of the threats the French government is alerted to.
The decision to involve Qatari security forces, given their ties to Islamic terrorist organizations and anti-Western sentiments, has only fueled fears and criticism. Critics argue that Qatar’s involvement poses additional risks, given its extensive history of supporting terrorism and propagating Islamic jihad.
Imminent Threat
The arrest in Gironde, the circulating jihadi video threatening an attack, the threats to Israeli athletes, and the infiltration of Qatari forces highlight some of the many severe and ongoing threats faced by French authorities as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Unfortunately, as we have seen time and time again in France, the likelihood of some type of jihad attack seems high.
