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French MP says Israeli athletes 'not welcome' at Paris Games

Speaking at a pro-Palestinian event in Paris, leftwing French MP Thomas Portes made the comments that Yonathan Arfi, president of Representative Council of Jewish Institutions, branded "indecent" and "irresponsible".

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A French MP for the hard-left Unbowed party (LFI) has said that Israeli athletes are "not welcome" at the Paris Olympics, reports Sky News.

Thomas Portes has been criticised after he called for protests against the presence of the Israeli team at this summer's games.

Speaking at a pro-Palestinian gathering in Paris, on Saturday, he said: "We are just a few days away from an international event in Paris, the Olympic Games.

"And I'm here to tell you that the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris.

"Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris.

"And we need to use every lever we have to mobilise and denounce the presence of the state that is today massacring a population."

His comments have been condemned as "indecent" and "irresponsible" by Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions (CRIF) in France.

Read more of this report from Sky News.