By Romana Rubeo  

The opening of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics did not begin as a purely sporting event. From the arrival of the Olympic torch to the ceremony inside San Siro Stadium and even the television broadcast itself, Israel’s genocide in Gaza became a recurring point of public reaction, protest, and controversy.

Key Takeaways

• Protests greeted the torch relay over Israel’s participation amid the Gaza war.
• Students mobilized the next day with Palestine-focused demonstrations.
• The Israeli delegation was loudly booed inside San Siro Stadium.
• Ghali’s peace-poem performance sparked controversy over minimal broadcast coverage.
• Gaza dominated the opening’s narrative across streets, stadium and TV.

The Torch Relay Becomes Political Stage

On Thursday evening, as the Olympic flame entered Milan, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered along the route.

The protest did not attempt to block the relay, but it directly targeted the legitimacy of Israel’s presence at the Games. 

Participants argued that international institutions were treating the Gaza war differently from other conflicts and demanded the exclusion of Israel from international sporting events.

Pro-Palestine protesters rally in Milan, demanding Israel's exclusion from the upcoming Winter Olympics due to the genocide in Gaza.

Follow: https://t.co/LWoNSpkJSh pic.twitter.com/gtKPEJeZg2

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) February 7, 2026

“Israel is committing a genocide, yet it is welcomed with open arms at the Winter Olympics,” one demonstrator said, according to Euronews.

The torch continued its path without interruption and arrived at Piazza Duomo, carried by Teatro alla Scala étoile Nicoletta Manni. 

The following morning, students organized a second protest in Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci. The demonstration again focused on the genocide and Israel’s participation, with Palestinian flags, chants and banners dominating the gathering. 

Organizers framed the Olympics as part of a broader normalization of the genocide despite rising civilian casualties in Gaza.

Israeli Delegation Booed

The political tension visible in the streets reappeared during the opening ceremony itself.

At San Siro Stadium, before approximately 61,000 spectators, the Israeli delegation was met by loud whistles and boos from sections of the audience as the athletes entered the arena.

🚨🇵🇸 BREAKING — Israel Booed at Olympics. https://t.co/CFdYV064aH pic.twitter.com/YIp0Fm5zRB

— ★★★ Pamphlets ★★★ (@PamphletsY) February 6, 2026

The reaction did not interrupt the ceremony, but it was clearly audible inside the stadium and during the broadcast. Unlike spontaneous crowd noise typical of sporting rivalries, the response reflected the same political objections voiced during demonstrations outside the venue.

For many spectators, the ceremony became a setting for public expression rather than passive viewing — an arena where the Gaza war shaped how national delegations were received.

Ghali’s ‘Promemoria’

The most sustained controversy emerged not from the crowd but from the broadcast.

Italian-Tunisian rapper Ghali — who has repeatedly spoken in support of Palestinians and previously called to “stop the genocide” during the 2024 Sanremo Festival — participated in the ceremony with a reading of Promemoria, Gianni Rodari’s well-known poem about peace and the consequences of war. He performed the piece in multiple languages.

#Ghali imbavagliato preventivamente, evitato alla cerimonia, senza primo piano.
Eppure chiarissimo, con il suo messaggio potente contro l’omologazione.
Le #Olimpiadi dovrebbero servire anche a questo: rappresentare il mondo per quello che è.
Plurale. Diverso. In pace. pic.twitter.com/OQoSUZFeq5

— Myrta Merlino (@myrtamerlino) February 7, 2026

Before the ceremony, political debate had already surrounded his participation, with officials indicating the performance would not be allowed to become a political message.

After the ceremony aired, viewers noticed the public broadcaster did not frame the performance as a central act: the camera avoided close-ups, commentators did not identify him during the segment, and the performance passed without emphasis. 

Social media users accused the network of deliberately minimizing his presence.

Shortly before the ceremony, Ghali wrote on social media:“I know when a voice is accepted. I know when it is corrected. I know when it becomes too much.”

He later suggested the use of Arabic in the poem had been considered problematic.

(PC, Italian Media)