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Image of Israeli swimmers spelling 'bring them home now' predates Paris Games | Fact check

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USA TODAY

The claim: Image shows Israel's swim team at Paris Olympics spelling, 'Bring them home now'

A July 27 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows swimmers in a pool who arranged themselves to spell out, "Bring them home now!"

"The Israeli Olympic team was not allowed to wear their 'Bring Them Home' pins at the Olympic games in Paris," reads the post. "So they decided to spell it out for the entire world to see."

The post was shared more than 17,000 times in three days. Similar Facebook posts accumulated thousands of additional shares.

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Our rating: False

Israel's artistic swimming team posted the image to social media in November 2023, more than eight months before the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Image of Israeli swimmers predates 2024 Paris Olympics

The Summer Olympics officially began July 26, when the world's top athletes, including Israeli athletes, participated in the opening ceremony.

However, the image in the post predates the Games by more than eight months. It was posted to Instagram by Israel's artistic swimming team on Nov. 19, 2023. The caption indicates it was taken at the Wingate Institute, the country's government-run sports education facility.

The image was also posted Nov. 19, 2023, by Israel's official account on X, formerly Twitter. Some Israeli news outlets published articles about it at the time.

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The athletes' message is a reference to the hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the country's ongoing war in Gaza.

"Like the whole country, we too are waiting and hoping that all the abductees will return home soon," the post's Hebrew caption says in part. "We decided to film this gesture in the hope of raising awareness of the crimes against humanity committed against Israelis and against citizens of many countries."

No credible reports support the post's claim that Israeli athletes were banned from wearing “bring them home” pins at the Games. The International Olympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.

At least three Israeli athletes at the Paris Olympics have received death threats, The Guardian reported. The country's national anthem was loudly jeered before its men's soccer team played Mali on July 24, and "Heil Hitler" chants broke out at its July 27 match against Paraguay.

Israel's treatment of civilians in Gaza has led to protests around the world and accusations of genocide.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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