Swiss Broadcasting Complaints Authority Rules 5-4 That RTS Commentary on Israeli Olympic Bobsledder Was Discriminatory

A nine-member independent panel of Switzerland's broadcasting complaints authority voted 5-4 on Friday, Oct. 30, to find that a live TV commentary on an Israeli Olympic bobsledder was discriminatory. The broadcast it examined aired in February.

The Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television, known as ICA or AIEP, upheld four public complaints against French-language network RTS. The broadcast aired Feb. 16 on RTS2 during the two-man bobsled event at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

What the commentator said

As Israel's sled made its run, RTS journalist Stefan Renna spent the descent on Adam Edelman's social media posts about the war in Gaza. He called Edelman "a Zionist to the core, as he describes himself."

He also said Edelman had posted messages supporting what the commentator called "the genocide in Gaza." He noted that "genocide" is the term used by the UN Commission of Inquiry. Israel disputes that finding.

Renna quoted Edelman describing the military campaign as "the most just and moral war in history." He said Edelman's presence in Cortina "raises questions" under the International Olympic Committee's position that athletes who have supported war, militarily or through social media, are ineligible. The commentary cited the IOC rules that bar neutral Russian athletes from supporting the war in Ukraine.

The ruling

The ICA found the commentary "appeared to have been prepared in advance." It said the commentary "suggested that the Israeli athlete should be excluded from the Olympic Games due to his political views."

That, the authority said, "conveyed a stigmatising, and therefore discriminatory, message directed at him, in contrast to the 25 other athletes competing that day." The members concluded the commentator had subjected Edelman to unequal treatment, violating the prohibition on discrimination.

The other 25 crews in the event were described in a sports context only.

Four of the nine members disagreed. The ICA has not yet released its written reasoning, so the dissenters' objections are not public.

Reaction at the time

RTS pulled the clip from its website during the Games. The network said at the time that the commentary, "while factual, is inappropriate" during a live sports event. RTS was approached for comment after Friday's ruling.

Edelman, who finished 26th in the two-man event and later piloted an Israeli crew in the four-man race, called the commentary a "diatribe." He wrote after his run: "I don't think it's possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary."

Israel's embassy in Switzerland said it was "deeply appalled by the blatant abuse." It demanded decisive action and a clear apology.

What happens next

The ICA will publish its written reasoning at a later date, detailing the measures it has requested. When the authority finds a breach, it typically directs the broadcaster to take "measures to prevent any further violations" and then report on the steps taken.

The authority gets its power from the Swiss parliament. Its mandate covers appropriateness, diversity, fundamental rights, and protection of minorities. Appeals can go directly to the Federal Supreme Court.

The written reasoning is still to come, and it will show how the ICA distinguishes between criticizing an athlete's public statements and singling him out for discrimination. RTS's own description of its commentary as "factual" but "inappropriate" sits close to that line. The four dissenting votes mean the written ruling will be watched closely.