Israel’s Foreign Ministry said there is “full cooperation and understanding” with the Australian authorities on security and that the seizure was the result of “a technical glitch between two Australian authorities.”
The incident follows months of debate on security at the Olympic games. Several countries, including the United States and Israel, had asked permission from Australian authorities to bring their own armed security agents to protect their teams. Their requests were denied.
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer said that “here in Australia we provide the security for the athletes and the supports for the teams,” and that police are ensuring that security at the stadium and Olympic Village will be very high.
Extra security precautions have continued to be an issue of great concern for Israel, particularly following the massacre of the Israeli Olympic team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.