Prosecutors in France Foil 3 Plots Against Olympic and Paralympic Games
Counterterrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen revealed that three plots to attack the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other parts of France were foiled by the authorities. These plots included plans to attack ‘Israeli institutions or representatives of Israel.’
Christen said that five people, including a minor, were arrested over plots that involved targeting “Israeli institutions or representatives of Israel in Paris” during the Olympics. However, he clarified that the Israeli team itself was not specifically targeted.
Thousands of athletes and spectators from around the world traveled to France to participate in or watch the Olympic Games, which took place between July 26 and Aug. 11.
The suspects in the foiled plots remain in pre-trial detention and are not being identified, as is common in French law. Christen did not provide detailed information about the nature of the plots or whether they were related to the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.
There has been a significant increase in anti-Semitism and anti-Israel protests across Europe during the conflict. Christen stated that jihadist threats were predominant in the foiled plots, with 80 percent of legal proceedings against terrorist suspects involving Islamic extremist ideology that continues to influence France’s youth.
Despite being militarily defeated in Syria and northern Iraq, ISIS continues to “spread propaganda,” according to Christen.
Threat to Soccer Tournament
In May, an 18-year-old man from Chechnya, Russia, was arrested on suspicion of planning an attack on Olympic soccer events in the city of Saint-Etienne. The plan reportedly targeted “bar-type establishments around the Geoffroy Stadium.”
France was on high security alert during the Olympics and the Paralympic Games, which concluded recently.
Christen highlighted that counterterrorism authorities in France had conducted numerous house searches and put several suspects on house arrest in the lead-up to the Olympics.
Christen also mentioned that there had been 936 house searches so far in 2024, compared to 153 last year.
Echoes of Munich 1972
An attack on Israeli officials or representatives during the Paris Olympics would have evoked memories of the tragic attack in Munich in 1972. This attack remains etched in history as members of the terrorist group Black September took the lives of eleven Israeli athletes.
Last week marked the 52nd anniversary of the Munich Olympics attack, cementing its significance in history. In August, a terrorist plot targeting U.S. pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts led to their cancellation.
Three teenagers were arrested for planning the attack against Swift’s concerts. It was revealed that the CIA had tipped off Austrian authorities about the Taylor Swift plot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
