Calling It Out Live: Swiss Commentator Dismantles Israeli Bobsledder On Air For Pro-War Rhetoric | WATCH

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 09:56 IST

Swiss TV ignited controversy as a commentator questioned AJ Edelman’s Olympic place, citing his Gaza war comments and UN genocide claims.

In a moment of brilliant, unscripted television, Swiss commentator Stefan Renna turned a routine Olympic broadcast into something far more pointed and political.

As Israeli bobsledder Adam Edelman and teammate Menachem Chen pushed off in their two-man run at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Renna used the moment to raise uncomfortable questions about sport, war and accountability.

“Edelman, first appearance at an Olympic Games, who defines himself, and I quote, ‘as a Zionist to the core,’" Renna said on RTS.

The commentator went on to tell viewers that Edelman had posted on social media “in favour of the genocide in Gaza. I remind you that genocide is the term used by the United Nations commission of inquiry".

Israel has categorically rejected those accusations, calling them anti-Semitic, false, and politically motivated.

Renna then reminded viewers that Edelman had previously expressed strong support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, including describing “the Israeli military intervention was, I quote, the most morally justified war in history".

He suggested Edelman should have been barred from the Milan-Cortina Games on the same basis that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused to allow Russian athletes to appear if they had made pro-war remarks regarding their country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Edelman cries wolf

Edelman responded angrily on Instagram, calling the commentary a “diatribe" and defending his team’s presence on the Olympic stage.

“I am aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli bobsled team on the Swiss Olympic broadcast today," he wrote.

“I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give credence to this commentary."

Well, there are a plethora of other pressing issues that one could give credence to — especially those that extend from the river to the sea.

Since October 2023, Gaza’s health authorities report tens of thousands of deaths, while UN agencies describe widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and a severe humanitarian crisis marked by displacement, food insecurity and restricted aid access.

Israel’s air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 people since then, according to Palestinian health ministry data.

The Gaza health ministry says that at least 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the Gaza deal began.

Israel says four soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza over the same period.

(with agency inputs)

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