International
Paris 2024 Olympics *Did* Acknowledge Inspiration from Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ in Controversial Opening Ceremony
A spokesperson for the Paris 2024 Olympics did in fact admit that the controversial drag show version of “The Last Supper” seen during Friday’s opening ceremony was indeed inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic mural. This admission follows an initial attempt to vehemently deny the connection amid fierce backlash, according to the New York Post.
“Thomas Jolly took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting,” the spokesperson said in a statement to The Post on Saturday, referring to the opening ceremony’s creative director. “He is not the first artist to make a reference to what is a world-famous work of art. From Andy Warhol to ‘The Simpsons,’ many have done it before him.”
The admission came after the Paris Olympics previously claimed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the performance was misunderstood and denied any inspiration from the Christian mural. Initially, representatives insisted Jolly was not parodying the artwork featuring Jesus and the 12 apostles, but rather paying homage to Greek mythology and the Feast of Dionysus.
As the controversy continued, the spokesperson reached out to The Post with an “updated statement” on Monday, which included explanations from Jolly himself. This new statement notably omitted any mention of “The Last Supper” or da Vinci, instead describing the segment as depicting “a great paean feast in which the gods of Olympus take part.” In the foreground, it featured the god of wine — father of Sequana, goddess of the Seine — portrayed comically by singer Philippe Katherine. This moment involved a nearly naked man painted blue, served on an oversized platter in front of the performers.
The controversial segment included 17 performers, among them three familiar “Drag Race France” competitors, posed behind what appeared to be a long table. French DJ Barbara Butch, an LGBT activist, was also featured prominently, sporting a halo-like headpiece.
The performance has sparked significant backlash from Christian communities, including former President Donald Trump, who labeled the spectacle “a disgrace.” The Bishops’ Conference of France, representing the country’s Catholic bishops, condemned the performance as “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.”
Adding to the confusion, Jolly also claimed that his inspiration for the performance was a 17th-century painting titled “The Feast of the Gods” by Dutch artist Jan van Bijlert, which depicts Greek gods of Olympus gathered around a long table.
Despite various explanations and denials, Olympic organizers issued an apology on Sunday for any “offense” caused by the scene, asserting there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group” and emphasizing the intent to “celebrate community tolerance.” Notably, the apology did not acknowledge the connection to da Vinci’s famous work.
Follow Steve Postal: @HebraicMosaic
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What would a new Trump administration mean for the Middle East? Expect the following:
Increased Pressure on Iran and its Proxies
Brian Hook, Trump’s former special envoy to Iran who is believed to be leading Trump’s transition team for the State Department, stated that the new Trump administration would seek to “…isolate Iran diplomatically and weaken them economically, so that they can’t fund all of the violence…” coming from Iran’s proxies, “…all of whom destabilize Israel and our Gulf partners.” This approach contrasts with the Biden-Harris administration, who engaged the Islamic Republic diplomatically and economically, and even removed the Houthis from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity list from February 2021 through January 2024. That being said, Hook also stated that the new Trump administration would have “no interest in regime change” in Iran, and that decisions about the future of Iran lies with its people.
The Trump administration may green light an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. GOP spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko refused to say whether President-elect Trump would approve of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, stating that Trump should speak for himself on this issue and will do so when he assumes office. However, Trump had stated in October that Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear sites. In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration vocally opposed Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear sites or oil fields, and Israel’s attack plans were leaked to Iran through someone in the Biden-Harris administration’s Defense department.
Striving to End Wars in Lebanon and Gaza
According to Pipko, President-elect Trump wants Israel to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon quickly, decisively, and with victory. Pipko contrasted this approach with the Biden-Harris administration’s “back and forth” policy, and that the Biden-Harris administration was pressuring how Israel conducts war based on election considerations. The Biden-Harris administration was guilty of “armchair quarterbacking” Israel’s wars in an unproductive way, including by leaking Israel’s plans to strike Lebanon, opposing the Rafah invasion, and opposing the killing of several arch-terrorists.
Trump will also likely prioritize the release of the hostages; Trump recently threatened Hamas, stating that if they did not free its hostages before inauguration day, it will pay “a very big price.” In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has been spinning its wheels in endless failed diplomacy with Qatar, having not produced a hostage deal with Hamas since November 2023.
Pursuing a Conditional Peace with Palestinians
President-elect Donald Trump will likely re-visit his 2020 peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians, according to Brian Hook. Regarding the 2020 plan, Hook stated that “much of that work is still relevant today.”
On the issue of a Palestinian state, expect that the Trump administration won’t pursue a Palestinian state unconditionally for its own sake, as the Biden-Harris administration has. Hook conceded that Trump’s 2020 plan, which was endorsed by Israel and U.S.’ allies in the Gulf, “had a path to a two-state solution.” But Hook also recognized that Israelis are not focused on a Palestinian state now, and are instead focused on protecting themselves from terrorism in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Additionally, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas outright rejected the 2020 plan, and the plan also required the PA to provide security guarantees for Israel, recognize Israel, and allow Israeli citizens to remain in Judea and Samaria, all of which the PA did not agree to. If the new Trump administration seeks to revive this plan, it will likely revive these conditions for a Palestinian state as well. The PA will then in turn likely reject it a second time, proving again that the PA is not a partner for peace.
Expanding the Abraham Accords
President-elect Trump is also poised to expand the Abraham Accords. Trump brokered normalization deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Reportedly, the previous Trump administration was on the verge of expanding the Abraham Accords to Indonesia and Mauritania, but were prevented from doing so once the administration’s term expired. During the past Trump administration, Saudi Arabia had been trying to get Pakistan to join the Abraham Accords as well.
In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration failed to add any countries to the Abraham Accords. Most notably is the administration’s failure to clinch an Israel-Saudi Arabia deal after chilling US relations with Saudi Arabiaand insisting on a Palestinian state as an integral part of any deal. The Biden-Harris administration seems content with now pursuing a bilateral US-Saudi deal that ices out Israel, which would completely undermine the spirit of the Abraham Accords.
Jared Kushner has had multiple discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the issue of US-Israel-Saudi relations since President-elect Trump left office. So given past efforts, the new Trump administration could clinch Abraham Accords deals with Indonesia, Mauritania, Oman, and/or the big prize, Saudi Arabia.
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