Kuwaiti Muslim jiu-jitsu champion refuses Israeli athlete’s handshake: ‘We do not respect them at all’
Kuwaiti jiu-jitsu champion Jassim Alhatem refused to shake hands with Israeli athlete Yoav Manor during a medal ceremony in Abu Dhabi. Alhatem stated that Muslim athletes must uphold principles and expressed his disdain for Israel, referring to it as a 'Zionist entity.' He further claimed that he would not have competed against Manor if he had reached the final, emphasizing a lack of respect for Israeli athletes.
- ▪Jassim Alhatem won gold in the under-77kg division at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour.
- ▪Alhatem refused to shake hands with Israeli bronze medalist Yoav Manor during the podium ceremony.
- ▪He stated that Muslim athletes must have principles and expressed strong negative sentiments towards Israel.
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OutKick-Sports Kuwaiti Muslim jiu-jitsu champion refuses Israeli athlete’s handshake: ‘We do not respect them at all’ Jassim Alhatem also refused the traditional winners' photo with Yoav Manor, who won bronze in the under-77kg division By Dan Zaksheske OutKick Published May 18, 2026 7:48pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Fox News Flash top sports headlines for May 18 Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. Kuwaiti jiu-jitsu gold medalist Jassim Alhatem refused to shake Israeli bronze medalist Yoav Manor’s hand during a medal ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
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