Mostafa Rajai faces harsh punishment for violating Iran’s policy of boycotting Israel
Mostafa Rajai, an Iranian weightlifter who competed in the World Championships in Budapest, has been banned for life by the Iran Weightlifting Federation for taking a photo with an Israeli competitor. Rajai, who finished 10th in the 96kg category, posted a picture on his Instagram account with Israeli weightlifter David Litvinov, who came 12th in the same event. The photo was captioned “Friendship for all” and received over 2,000 likes.
However, Rajai’s gesture of sportsmanship did not go down well with the Iranian authorities, who have a strict policy of boycotting Israel and refusing to recognize its existence. Iran considers Israel an illegitimate and oppressive state that occupies Palestinian lands and violates human rights. Iran also supports militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas that fight against Israel.
According to Iranian media reports, Rajai was summoned by the Iran Weightlifting Federation and informed of his lifetime ban. He was also accused of “disgracing” the Iranian nation and “betraying” the Palestinian cause. Rajai reportedly apologized and claimed that he did not know Litvinov was Israeli, but his plea was rejected.
Rajai is not the first Iranian athlete to face consequences for interacting with Israelis
Rajai’s case is not an isolated incident, as several Iranian athletes have faced similar consequences for interacting with Israelis or competing against them. In 2023, Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei was forced to lose a match at the World Championships in Tokyo to avoid facing an Israeli opponent in the final. He later defected to Germany and obtained Mongolian citizenship, allowing him to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2023, where he won a silver medal.
In 2022, Iranian chess player Aryan Gholami forfeited a game at the World Junior Chess Championship in India to avoid playing against an Israeli player. He later said that he did not want to disrespect his country’s policy and that he had no personal problem with Israelis.
In 2018, Iranian wrestler Alireza Karimi was suspended for six months by the United World Wrestling for deliberately losing a match at the Under-23 World Championships in Poland to avoid facing an Israeli opponent. He was also fined $10,000 and his coach was banned for two years.
The International Olympic Committee and other sports bodies have condemned Iran’s boycott of Israel
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other sports bodies have condemned Iran’s boycott of Israel and urged it to respect the Olympic Charter, which states that “any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”
The IOC has also warned Iran that it could face sanctions or even expulsion from the Olympic Games if it continues to violate the principles of fair play and sportsmanship. In 2023, the IOC suspended Iran from participating in the Tokyo Olympics after it executed wrestler Navid Afkari, who was accused of killing a security guard during anti-government protests in 2018. Afkari’s family and human rights groups claimed that he was tortured into confessing and that he was innocent.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has also expressed its concern over Rajai’s ban and said that it will investigate the matter. The IWF said that it “strongly believes in friendship and solidarity among all people” and that it “opposes any kind of discrimination.”
Rajai’s photo with Litvinov sparks mixed reactions on social media
Rajai’s photo with Litvinov has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some users praising him for his courage and humanity, while others criticizing him for his betrayal and ignorance. Some of the comments are:
- “He is a hero. He showed that sports can bring people together regardless of their nationality or religion.”
- “He is a traitor. He insulted the martyrs of Palestine and Iran who sacrificed their lives for freedom and justice.”
- “He is a victim. He was manipulated by the Zionist propaganda and did not know what he was doing.”
- “He is a fool. He should have known better than to pose with an enemy of Iran and Islam.”
