A month before the Olympics, Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik moved to embrace his Russian counterpart — whom he had considered a friend — only to be rebuffed and called a terrorist.

A moment that says everything without needing explanation.

One month before the Olympics, Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik approached a fellow athlete he considered a friend, only to be met with a chilling response: “I’m not shaking hands with terrorists.”

The shock, the… pic.twitter.com/K3tnty2Mwy

— Ynet Global (@ynetnews) April 5, 2026

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