Home / Sports / RAI Apologizes After Anti-Israel Remark on Air
RAI Apologizes After Anti-Israel Remark on Air
22 Feb
Summary
- RAI apologized to the Jewish community for an on-air remark.
- The remark advised avoiding the Israeli bobsleigh crew at the Olympics.
- RAI CEO called the incident a serious breach of impartiality.
Italy's state broadcaster RAI issued an apology to the Jewish community after a journalist's off-air comment, advising producers to 'avoid' the Israeli crew, was inadvertently broadcast. The remark was heard before coverage of the Four-Man bobsleigh event at the Winter Olympics. This incident follows a prior controversy where the head of RAI's sports division resigned due to errors in commentary during the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony.
Israel's ambassador strongly condemned the statement, emphasizing that sport should be free from hatred and discrimination. He expressed confidence that RAI management would address the issue to prevent recurrence. RAI's CEO, Giampaolo Rossi, described the incident as a significant violation of the broadcaster's principles of impartiality and inclusion, announcing an internal investigation into potential disciplinary actions.
The RAI board of directors also denounced the comment as unacceptable and extended apologies to the Jewish community, the affected athletes, and the audience. The union representing RAI journalists had previously criticized the earlier commentary errors for damaging the company's credibility. RAI, a major media organization, operates national television, radio, and digital news services.
