LONDON (EJP)---An Arab media outlet has further muddied the waters over perceived racism against the Israeli delegation at the Olympic Games, declaring that "Israel doesn’t deserve" inclusion in the international competition.

After much build-up over whether Iranian and Algerian athletes would compete against their Israeli counterparts, as well as continuous appeals to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to pay tribute to the 11 slain Israeli Olympians in Munich, EU Commissioner Androulla Vassilou sought to calm tensions at the start of the London Games on Friday, calling for a return to “the shared values that unite us: respect, fair play, solidarity and equality”.

Meanwhile, as Qatar-based Arab media outlet Al-Jazeera commentated on the international Olympic delegations parading in the much-heralded opening ceremony on Friday night, sports broadcaster Isam Shawali declared “They don’t deserve it” on the appearance of the Israeli team. His remarks came as the delegation, led by windsurfer Shahar Zubari, sporting an Israeli flag shaved into his hair, led his team into the stadium, proudly carrying an Israeli flag.

Ahead of the Games, which had already been subject to controversy over the IOC’s refusal to honour the Israeli victims of the 1972 Munich terrorist attack, the Algerian Olympic Committee (NOC) had already drawn criticism for threatening its athletes would boycott events featuring Israeli participants. NOC President Rachid Hanifi claimed “there is an obligation to ask our government if we have to meet Israel in sport”.

IOC spokesman Emanuelle Moreau slammed the threats as compromising the “spirit of friendship and fair play” which are the founding principles of the Olympics.

“Refusing to participate in an Olympic event because of a fellow athlete/team’s religion or nationality, would not only be unsporting behaviour but a serious breach of the IOC’s Code of Ethics, the principles of the Olympic Charter and the Athletes Oath”, she concluded. Hanifi has since denied his team will proceed with a boycott.

London organisers were forced to mediate shortly after the glittering opening ceremony on the first night of the Games, however, when Lebanese judo fighters refused to train on the same mat as their Israeli counterparts, forcing officials to install a screen between the two teams.

Elsewhere, fellow broadcasters chose to honour the Munich victims as NBC sports commentator Bob Costas invoked IOC President Jacques Rogge’s refusal to honour the Olympians with a minute’s silence as part of official proceedings. Ahead of a 12-second on-air silence, he said that “for many, tonight, with the world watching, is the true time and place to remember those who were lost, and how and why they died”.

Israeli television meanwhile paused its commentary of events for 30 seconds as its national team entering the Olympic stadium, whilst it showed a montage of photos of the 11 slain athletes.