3 min readFeb 18, 2026 10:44 AM IST
The Winter Olympics was mired in another controversy after a Swiss commentator used a Winter Games broadcast to accuse an Israeli athlete of backing “genocide in Gaza” — triggering outrage from the athlete himself and the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
During live coverage on Radio Télévision Suisse, commentator Stefan Renna zeroed in on Israeli bobsleigh pilot Adam Edelman as the two-man team completed their second qualifying run.
Renna declared: “Adam Edelman, first-time Olympian and self-defined Zionist to the core, who has posted several messages on social networks in support of genocide in Gaza. Genocide is the term used by the UN Commission of Inquiry into the region. Edelman described the Israeli military intervention as, and I quote, ‘The most morally just war in history’.”
He then invoked the case of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, disqualified over his “helmet of memory” tribute to athletes killed since Russia’s invasion, adding: “Just goes to show sport is obviously eminently political.”
The backlash was immediate.
Edelman blasted what he called a “tirade” against his team, writing on X: “I am aware of the commentator’s tirade against the Israeli bobsled team during today’s Swiss Olympic broadcast. The contrast immediately strikes me: ‘Shul Runnings’ is a team of six proud Israelis who made it to the Olympic Games. No coach. No elaborate program. Just a dream, indomitable will, and unwavering pride in our country. Together, we work towards an incredible goal and achieve it with flying colors. Because that’s exactly what Israelis do.”
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was even more blunt: “Beyond disgusting that the Jew-hating Swiss ‘sportscaster’ spewed bigotry & bile at @Israel Olympic Bobsled team & its captain @realajedelman as they competed.”
RTS stood by the substance of the remarks but conceded the format was wrong. “Our journalist wanted to question the IOC’s policy regarding the athlete’s statements. However, such information, while factual, is inappropriate for sports commentary due to its length. Therefore, we removed the segment from our website last night.”
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The International Olympic Committee distanced itself from the controversy. Spokesman Mark Adams said: “I would remind everyone involved, however tangentially, in the Olympic Games, of the values and the charter and the idea of us trying to bring people together despite what’s happening in the rest of the world. But in terms of specific comments by a commentator, that’s a matter that you need to refer and ask questions to the broadcast.”
On the ice, the Israeli team finished 26th out of 26.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military response. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.
