Israeli Politician Drops Olympic Threat; 2012 Security Questions

Israeli Politician Drops Olympic Threat

An Israeli parliamentarian no longer takes issue with a bid from Istanbul for the 2020 Olympic Games, Around the Rings is told.

Earlier this month Knesset member Danny Danon wrote a letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge asking him to reject the bid from Istanbul. Danon complained about Turkey’s close ties to Iran and an alleged role in terrorism.

"Letting Turkey host the Olympics will stain the reputation of the Western world in general and the Olympic Movement in particular," wrote Danon at the time.

But he has withdrawn his opposition following a meeting last week with Israeli IOC member Alex Gilady.

"I explained to him the Olympic principles, the suffering of Israeli sport from boycotts in the past and the deep strong friendship and cooperation between the Turkish sport movement and the Israeli sport movement," says Gilady.

"Danon thanked me for the education and informed me he will pursue the issue no longer," he says.

Gilady adds that the Israeli Olympic Committee has sent a letter to Rogge and the Turkish Olympic Committee "specifying their 100 percent commitment to the Olympic Charter".

Gilady points out that Danon is just one of 120 members of the Knesset, making inaccurate the headline to our Oct. 19 story about Danon’s letter to Rogge: "Israel Opposes Istanbul". Also inaccurate was our lead sentence that said "Israel’s parliament, Knesset, apparently wants to stop Istanbul’s 2020 Olympic bid."

We regret the editing error.

Giladysays a more fitting headline for the current situation might read "Israeli sport and Olympic Movement reject out of hand a [member of Knesset’s] call to boycott Istanbul ".

2012 Security Questions

London 2012 security costs are under scrutiny at a meeting of the London Assembly on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Chris Allison, who is overseeing London's policing of the Games, will be grilled by assembly members on the London riots in August and the progress of security plans for next year's Games.

Members will ask how much the Met Police is budgeting to police the Games and how this is being factored into government funding decisions.

Head of Media for Glasgow 2014

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games organizers have appointed a former Scottish journalist to deliver their media relations strategy.

Janette Harkess joins as the organization's head of media. Her role will include raising the profile of the Games across Scotland, the U.K. and internationally.

She will also provide strategic advice to senior management and board members on media activity.

A former deputy editor of Scottish newspapers, The Herald and The Evening Times, Harkess has also held senior editorial management posts with the Scottish Daily Mail and the Sunday Mail.

She takes up her new position on Dec. 5.

Reported by Ed Hula and Mark Bisson

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