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Liora Rez, the founder of StopAntisemitism, is calling for the firing of a Swiss TV station that questioned the participation of an Israeli athlete in the Winter Olympics.
Radio Telesvision Suisse commentator Stefan Renna dubbed Israel’s skeleton rival, AJ Edelman, a “self-defined Zionist” who has posted numerous messages on social media in support of the “genocide” in Gaza. Renna mentioned the UN when clarifying his use of the word “genocide”.
“It’s almost like Al Jazeera, puppet state media broadcasting versus a European television network, and it was completely inappropriate,” Rez said in a recent interview with Pakinomist Digital. “We strongly believe that Stefan should be terminated and an apology issued by his television network.”
Israel’s Adam Edelman, left, slides down the track during a two-man bobsled practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
The network said it “removed the segment from our website” after the remarks, “although factual … may have seemed inappropriate due to its length in the context of a sports commentary.”
Rez also called on the International Olympic Committee to “step in and make it clear that political commentary specifically chastising the world’s only Jewish nation is just plain wrong and will not be tolerated.”
“Unless consequences are enacted, more and more things like this are going to happen … just because these platforms and events are so big with massive, massive audiences,” Rez said.
“Listen, we’re talking about the Olympics during a bobsleigh competition. These guys are flying down this ice rink in northern Italy at 100 plus miles an hour. This was not the time for comments on the war between Israel and Gaza,” she added. “There are plenty of chances to talk about it. It clearly wasn’t that… Instead of commenting on the bobsled competition and the form or the speed, he took it to vilify not only Israel, but to maliciously isolate and go after the team captain. It’s just completely inappropriate and he needs to be held accountable.”
The IOC found themselves in the headlines when they sold controversial t-shirts with Nazi propaganda, which sold out.
Breakdown of the 1936 Olympic poster t-shirt and the Olympic rings (Olympic Shop; Kevin Voigt/GettyImages)
“If they really wanted to showcase extraordinary athletic talent, they could have honored someone like Jesse Owens, whose performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics was in direct defiance of Nazi ideology. Instead, they chose to pay homage to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. That choice speaks volumes,” Rez said of the jersey.
Rez said she has seen anti-Semitism “skyrocket” since Oct. 7, 2023, and it has reached the world of sports.
“The band-aid of anti-Semitism has been completely ripped off. It’s very normalized in certain areas, and before it’s normalized in the sports arena,” Rez said. “That’s why the IOC and other sports bodies need to take a stand, put their foot down and say this will not be tolerated. They need to ensure that things like this never happen again in the future. It was again completely wrong, completely inappropriate.”
Rez had a message for the Jewish athletes who still have to deal with anti-Semitic comments.
Israel’s Adam Edelman, left, and Menachem Chen celebrate at the end of a two-man bobsleigh race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
“There are millions supporting you, behind you. Keep your head up, be proud, and just do your best. We’re behind you.”
