The Swiss Fencing Association issued an apology to the Israeli fencing team on Tuesday after the Swiss under-23 fencing team turned its back on the Israeli competitors during the medal ceremony of the European Fencing Championship in Tallinn last week.
The athletes acted out of "personal feelings of discomfort and general empathy toward the situation" rather than out of political considerations, the letter reportedly stated.
During the championship, Israel's male under-23 team won the gold medal, while the Swiss team took silver and the Italian team gained bronze.
After the three teams ascended the podium to receive their medals, the Swiss fencers turned their backs on Israel while Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah, played.
Backlash following incident
"Sport should bring people together, not divide them," a representative of the Israel Fencing Association said following the incident.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar congratulated the Israeli and Italian teams in a post on X/Twitter; however, he wrote with regard to the Swiss team. "Shame on the Swiss team for their disrespectful behaviour. You don’t know how to lose and behave in a manner that is an embarrassment to you and the country you’re supposed to represent."
ברכות לנבחרת ישראל בסיף עד גיל 23 על הזכיה במדלית זהב באליפות אירופה. כבוד! ברכות גם לנבחרת איטליה על זכייתה במדלית הארד. בושה לנבחרת שוויץ על התנהגותה חסרת-הכבוד שביזתה והביכה את המדינה שהיתה אמורה לייצג. pic.twitter.com/ZRpCL2dCZ7
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 26, 2025
Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.
