CORTINA D’AMPEZZO — At the 2026 Winter Olympics, the presence of the Israeli flag is carrying a weight and significance that transcends international sport. But this week, that national pride was thrust into the spotlight following a highly controversial political attack on live television.
On Monday, the Israeli two-man bobsleigh team—led by pilot AJ Edelman and brakeman Menachem Chen—took to the ice at the Cortina Sliding Centre. It was a historic moment: the first time Israel had ever qualified a bobsleigh team for the Winter Games.
However, the athletic achievement was overshadowed during the Swiss broadcasting of the event. On live television, Swiss commentator Stefan Renna launched into a political diatribe against Edelman. Renna claimed the athlete was “in favour of genocide in Gaza,” quoted Edelman as calling himself a “Zionist to the core,” and openly questioned why Israeli athletes were permitted to compete at the Olympics while other nations involved in conflicts, like Russia, faced bans.
The remarks sparked immediate backlash from Jewish organizations and sports officials who condemned the use of the Olympic broadcast for geopolitical interrogation.
David Greaves, President of the Israeli Olympic Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation, quickly issued a fierce defense of his athletes, re-centering the narrative on resilience and Jewish identity.
“Shame on Stefan Renna,” Greaves stated on Tuesday. “Our athletes have conducted themselves as mensches and true ambassadors of Israel, our sport, and the Jewish people—something the Swiss broadcaster should take a few lessons from.”
For Greaves and the team—affectionately nicknamed “Shul Runnings” in a nod to the famous 1993 Jamaican bobsled film Cool Runnings—the adversity only magnifies their purpose. Edelman himself took to social media to brush off the commentator’s remarks, noting the incredible contrast of a team with “no big program” bringing their dream to the Olympic stage with “unyielding pride.”
The Olympic Games have always served as a platform for showcasing national identity, but for the Israeli delegation in 2026, the stakes feel distinctly different. Greaves recently noted that in the wake of October 7 and rising global antisemitism, the Israeli flag feels “heavier” on their jackets—not as a burden, but as a profound obligation.
“Nothing speaks louder than the Israeli flag being flown at these Olympic Games, giving a sense of deep pride, and belonging for the Jewish people,” Greaves said following the broadcast incident.
In the face of myriad challenges, the display of the Israeli flag in Milano-Cortina serves as a potent reminder of resilience. It encapsulates the dedication of a historic bobsleigh team who, despite political noise, continues to hurtle down the ice, amplifying their nation’s voice on the world’s biggest stage.
