Israel's Arad hopes Olympic role will 'build bridges'

Israel's Yael Arad said Tuesday she wanted to use her new role as a member of the International Olympic Committee to help "build bridges" as the conflict in the Middle East ratchets up.

Arad, the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal when she took silver in judo at the 1992 Barcelona Games, was one of eight new members voted on to the IOC during the organisation's session meeting in Mumbai.

But there was doubt over whether she would travel to India following the conflict between Israel and the Hamas-ruled territory of Gaza.

Israel declared war on the Islamist group a day after waves of its fighters broke through the fortified border on October 7 and killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

Since then, Israeli strikes on Gaza have flattened neighbourhoods and more than 2,700, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.

"It was very difficult," Arad told reporters in Mumbai following her election.

"I left home with 900 murdered friends, family and the community, innocent people. And now we have already 1400 murdered from one black Saturday of an horrific terror attack.

"I can't stop thinking about 199 hostages that were kidnapped, babies four months, four-years-old boys and girls.

"So my heart and my thoughts are with all the families that lost, including my family. We lost cousins on both sides (of her family).

"In my neighbourhood it was very difficult. But I felt that it was my obligation to come here, to show the world that we are still here.

"For me it's a dream come true to serve here (the IOC), to be part of these nations."

Arad, an athlete, then coach, businesswoman and sports administrator, explained how she had been visiting hospitals as president of Israel's Olympic committee.

"To the civilians in the hospitals, Peter Paltchik, the Olympic medallist and the world medallist in judo, said every time we go on the mat or to the field and compete, from now on we do it for you.

"And when you see our flag on the podium, you know we did it in your name."

Arad, 56, wearing a black ribbon, said she had always tried to avoid partisanship during her career.

"I think everybody that knows me and people that know me around, know that I do everything without any religious or political view, always for humanity, always for people," she said.

"Unfortunately our neighbourhood back in the Middle East, it's not like this always.

"Even though here in the Olympic arena movement I get a lot of hugs and also from my friends from the Arab world, and I really appreciate it.

"We have to learn this lesson that there are inhuman people around the world, terrorist and terror organisations.

"But this organisation (IOC) must show the world that through sports we build bridges and we give hope to many people, to many conflicts around the world.

"With it we have to always condemn, we have to always remember that in the bridges that we build we cannot allow terror."