Israel's First-Ever Christian Olympian Reacts to Terror Threat, Opening Ceremony

CBN News
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Published 2024-08-08
Ashlee Bond has been on a truly captivating journey. The U.S.-born show-jumping rider is the first Christian athlete to represent Israel at the Olympics. Bond participated in the Tokyo Games in 2021 and was in Paris this summer to once again compete in the Olympic games. "I am part Jewish, so ... I feel right at home," Bond told CBN News of her experience competing on team Israel. Her journey to contending on behalf of the Jewish state started when she was 33 years old, which she considers significant considering her Christian heritage.

"I was 33 when I got my citizenship — on my 33rd birthday," she said. "Jesus was crucified when he was 33. I have always considered myself an American-Israeli or Israeli-American, either way. My dad was born in Haifa ... I still have some family that lives in Israel." Bond said her Israeli heritage was always "very prominent" in her life, with the culture integrated into her daily life. Ultimately, she developed a "strong Israeli character," which helped lead her to seek Israeli citizenship in 2018. "I just felt this calling with my faith being a Christian, being that Jesus — that's where he was born, and where he died, and where he rose again," Bond said.

There were some significant considerations for Bond when competing in the 2024 Olympic Games, though, especially after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East — events that led to increased security concerns for Israeli Olympians. "It was definitely nerve-wracking, to say the least," she said. "I pride myself on being a pretty tough person — someone who isn't shaken too easily." But Bond said she and others received a threatening email before the 2024 Olympics that left her stunned.

"[It] singled me out personally, along with ... I believe 16 other Israeli athletes from a terrorist organization threatening our lives and saying ... 'If you fly over, you drive over, we run the airports, we run the streets, we will have blood run in the streets like Munich in '72,'" she said, referencing the 1972 terror attack that claimed the lives of 11 Israeli Olympians. "That was a little concerning." Bond said she coped with associated fears by leaning into Jesus, focusing on her calling and not any of the worries that the email sparked in her heart. The threats were especially concerning because the emails were delivered and addressed to each individual's personal email — and that's not all. "There were a couple Israeli athletes that got their obituaries sent to them," she said.

Bond also reacted to the controversial opening ceremony. Watch her tell the story.
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