Anticipation rises in the Paris Olympics due to the first Arab-“Israeli” confrontation regarding the match-up between Algerian judoka Messaoud Dris and “Israeli” athlete Tohar Butbul in the 73kg weight class. 

Dris, 22, is poised to become the first Arab competitor to face an “Israeli” opponent at the Paris Olympics if he goes head-to-head with Butbul. 

This potential clash draws comparisons to a similar situation at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine made headlines for withdrawing from the competition due to the prospect of facing an “Israeli” adversary.

Nourine's withdrawal came as he was scheduled to compete against Sudanese judoka Mohamed Abdalarasool, with the possibility of facing Butbul in subsequent rounds. 

Butbul, who advanced to the Round of 32, did so without a preliminary match.