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Iran’s world champion judo wrestler withdrew this week from the Olympics rather than wrestle against an Israeli. When the Iranian delegation found that wrestler Arash Mir-Esmaeili was scheduled to face Israeli Ehud Vaks, it ordered him to disqualify himself from the competition. “We recognize this hero’s sacrifice,” said Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. “He will go down in Iranian history with honor and pride.” Even though he will not compete, Mir-Esmaeili will receive the $115,000 the Iranian government pays to each gold medalist. Iran does not officially recognize the existence of Israel, which it calls “the Zionist entity.”
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