Egyptian judoka defends Israeli snub
Egypt's Islam El Shehaby says he respects the rules of Judo and was not obliged to shake hands with his Israeli opponent.
El Shehaby's fans used social media to suggest the bout against Israel's Or Sasson on Friday would shame Islam.
"Shaking the hand of your opponent is not an obligation written in the judo rules. It happens between friends and he's not my friend," L'Esprit du Judo quoted El Shehaby as saying.
"I have no problem with Jewish people or any other religion or different beliefs. But for personal reasons, you can't ask me to shake the hand of anyone from this State, especially in front of the whole world,."
Egypt was the first Arab power to make peace with Israel, in 1979, but the treaty remains unpopular among many Egyptians.
The International Olympic Committee opened a disciplinary commission following the incident, saying that "the Olympic spirit should be about building bridges, never about erecting walls."
