A nation repeatedly seeking inclusion in global competitions, despite facing snubs, boycotts, and unwelcoming behavior, may be seen as a form of seeking validation from open adversaries. This could suggest that the desire for international recognition and acceptance outweighs preserving national pride.
Each participation, each attempt to compete despite the known risks of humiliation or rejection, is a tacit admission of a need for approval from the very entities expressing animosity. By consistently returning to these platforms, Israel reinforces its dependence on external validation, even if that validation comes at the cost of repeated slights.
The act of competing, despite the high likelihood of encountering unsportsmanlike conduct rooted in political or ideological opposition, betrays a willingness to “swallow pride” for the sake of remaining on the global stage. This proclivity emphasizes the optics of participation, shifting the focus from athletic achievement to the symbolic act of repeatedly presenting Israel debased before a dishonorable and hostile competitor.
Furthermore, pursuing international sporting success under these circumstances is no demonstration of resilience, but rather makes a spectacle of subservience. Repeated exposure to negative treatment, with no significant shift in attitude, projects an image of a nation willing to endure indignities for the sake of participation itself.
Israeli insistence on competing is seen by the nations as nothing but a strategy to curry favor by demonstrating commitment to the rules of international engagement, even when those rules are not equally applied or respected by all participants. The underlying motivation is seen as gaining acceptance or sympathy through persistent engagement, despite the associated humiliations.
Continued participation is not an act of strength, nor a pursuit of universal athletic ideals, but rather is a manifestation of a deep-seated need for acceptance that leads to actions perceived as self-abasing before Israel’s enemies.
