Israeli Teen Wins Gold at Jiujitsu World Championship but Bronze Medal Winner Kneels During National Anthem

A 17-year-old Israeli won a gold medal at the Jiujitsu International Federation’s world championship competition held this week in Abu Dhabi. But when Israel’s national anthem was played during the medal ceremony to honor Amit Burstein’s achievement, the bronze medal winner, a teen from Kazakhstan, kneeled down on the podium in an apparent display of disrespect. A second Kazakh competitor, who earned the silver medal, remained standing for the anthem, “Hatikvah,” or The Hope. Arik Kaplan, the head of Ayelet–the Federation of the Non-Olympic Sport In Israel, told Israel’s Channel 12 news that he has requested an investigation into the incident “out of hope that this was not an act of protest against the national anthem.”  Israeli athletes have faced discrimination in international sporting competitions, mostly from athletes from Muslim countries, ranging from opponents who refuse to shake their hands to opponents who refuse to compete against them, leading to their disqualification.