On the ridiculous notion that you can separate politics from sports: Islam El Shehaby isn’t unique in turning the Olympics into something of a political side-show. “When John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fists in the black power salute at the 1968 Games in Mexico, they were widely reviled. Both men were suspended from the US Olympic team and received death threats,” writes Ruby Hamad for Daily Life. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the “blood in the water” match between Hungary and the USSR, which took place a month after the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. In 1972, the terrorist attacks in the Munich Olympics claimed the lives of 11 Israeli athletes, five terrorists and one policeman. In 1976, 30 African countries boycotted because the International Olympic Committee allowed New Zealand to join when it had legitimized South Africa during its Apartheid regime. In 1980, the US led over 60 countries to boycott in protest of the USSR invading Afghanistan. This time around, the Lebanese Olympic team refusing to share a bus with the Israeli team caused a fuss in international media. So did El Shehaby’s refusing to shake Israeli Or Sasson’s hand after losing the judo match. This year, Israeli officials prevented the Palestinian Olympic Team chief from leaving the Gaza Strip. The Olympics are in fact the one of the most politicized sporting events in human history.