Italy's state broadcaster RAI apologised after an off-air instruction to "avoid" the Israeli Four-Man bobsleigh crew was accidentally aired before Olympic coverage. Israel's ambassador Jonathan Peled condemned the remark and called for measures to prevent discrimination in sport. RAI CEO Giampaolo Rossi called the lapse a "serious" breach, opened an internal inquiry and the board apologised to the Jewish community and viewers. The incident follows the resignation of RAI's sports chief after criticised opening-ceremony commentary.
RAI Apologises After Off-Air Remark Targets Israeli Bobsleigh Team at Milan-Cortina 2026
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Bobsleigh - 4-man Heat 1 - Cortina Sliding Centre, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - February 21, 2026. Adam Edelman of Israel, Menachem Chen of Israel, Uri Zisman of Israel, Omer Katz of Israel in action during Heat 1. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
By Andrea Mandalà
Italy's public broadcaster RAI apologised on Saturday after an off-air instruction telling producers to "avoid" the Israeli Four-Man bobsleigh crew was accidentally broadcast just before live coverage of the event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Viewers heard the words, "Let's avoid crew number 21, which is the Israeli one," followed by "no, because ..." before the audio was cut. The comment prompted immediate criticism and an apology from RAI's leadership.
Officials Condemn The Remark
Israel's ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, condemned the statements on social media, saying: "There should be no room in sport for incitement to hatred, discrimination based on national, cultural, or religious beliefs, and any offensive rhetoric." He added that he expects RAI management to take the necessary steps to prevent similar incidents.
RAI Chief Executive Giampaolo Rossi called the episode a "serious" breach of the public broadcaster's principles of impartiality, respect and inclusion, and said an internal inquiry has been opened to determine responsibility and any disciplinary measures.
Background And Aftermath
The incident follows earlier controversy at RAI: the head of its sports division resigned after error-prone commentary by Paolo Petrecca during the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony, which drew internal criticism from journalists. The union representing RAI journalists, Usigrai, said Petrecca's commentary had dealt "a serious blow" to the company's credibility, citing misidentified venues and public figures and other widely criticised remarks.
RAI's board of directors described the off-air remark as "unacceptable" and apologised to the Jewish community, the athletes involved, and viewers who were offended. RAI is Italy's largest media organisation, operating national television, radio and digital services.
Reporting by Andrea Mandalà; Editing by Alison Williams and Pritha Sarkar
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