BERN, Switzerland (AP) — A Swiss public broadcaster’s commentary on an Israeli bobsled crew’s run at the 2026 Winter Olympics was discriminatory, a national panel examining viewer complaints said Friday.
The nine-member independent panel voted 5-4 to uphold four public complaints about the broadcast in February by French-language network RTS, the complaints authority known by its French acronym AIEP said in its ruling.
When Adam Edelman piloted Israel’s two-man bobsled crew at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, broadcaster Stefan Renna quoted from the athlete’s social media comments in support of the military during the conflict in Gaza.
The broadcaster cited the International Olympic Committee’s rules prohibiting neutral Russian athletes from supporting the war in Ukraine and noted a United Nations-backed report which described the conflict in Gaza as a genocide. Israel disputes that finding.
The commentary by RTS journalist Stefan Renna, the complaints panel judged Friday, amounted to unequal treatment compared to the other 25 bobsled crews who were described just in a sports context.
“(The) majority of members came to the conclusion that the commentary, probably prepared in advance, suggesting that the Israeli athlete should be excluded from the Olympic Games because of his political views had conveyed a stigmatizing and therefore discriminatory message against him,” the ruling said.
International reaction during the Olympics saw RTS pull the clip from its website and explained that the commentary “while factual, is inappropriate” during a live sports event.
RTS was approached for comment Friday.
Edelman posted on social media after his Olympic performance: “I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary.” He placed 26th in the two-man bobsled and later drove an Israel crew in the four-man event.
The complaints panel, which gets its authority from the Swiss parliament, said rulings can be challenged at federal court.
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