Sports fans got a kick out of a video this week showing an Italian gold-medalist napping on a towel on the ground next to a park bench because his living conditions at the Olympic Village outside of Paris were so uncomfortable. The beds, the heat, the noise—who can get proper rest in that place?

He was quick to point out that every athlete is subject to the same conditions, so he wasn’t complaining about being put at a disadvantage. But in truth, the experience isn’t identical for every athlete. For example, when I saw the clip of him sleeping outdoors, I knew immediately that the athlete in the video wasn’t Israeli.

“We have armed guards with us 24/7,” Ashlee Bond, a member of Israel’s showjumping team, told Agence France Presse. “Our place where we’re staying is like a compound. We can’t go out of the village without armed guards. And we can only go from the village [to the competition site] and back.”

Not that the Israelis are asking to sleep on the ground outside, but unlike the Paraguayan swimmer who allegedly left the Olympic Village one day to go to Disneyland Paris, life is a little different for Israelis abroad.

Today, the Associated Press reports on the threats the Israeli athletes receive. Some of their personal information was apparently hacked and leaked online, though it has since been taken down. The story notes that the Palestinian delegation to the Games has done its best to rile up anger at the Israelis athletes, but most of those making the threats probably don’t need any reminders.

One of the reasons for the heightened security, according to French officials, is the memory of the 1972 Munich games, at which Palestinian terrorists killed eleven Israeli athletes in cold blood. The Israeli embassy in Paris yesterday hosted a memorial for those victims, attended by Olympics officials. “French authorities have cited the Munich attack as among reasons for heightened security for the Paris Olympics,” reports the AP, “and Israeli athletes are under 24-hour guard by a French police unit.”

That last part is encouraging—at least their hosts deign to protect them. That’s distressingly uncommon.

Often, host countries do what Belgium did just yesterday with regard to the European Youth Ultimate Championships and just ban or banish the Israeli team. The EYUC, an annual global ultimate frisbee tournament, initially tried to move the Israeli teams to another field to avoid the protests organized against them—yes, teenagers playing frisbee were deemed an appropriate target for Europe’s characteristic anti-Jewish rage. But that satellite field was then vandalized, and the tournament organizers decided it would be better for everyone if the Jews weren’t permitted to play at all.

“EUF and EFDF deeply regrets to inform the Ultimate community and participating teams that a major change to participating teams in the Open and Mixed Division and to the overall schedule for all divisions has come into effect due to directive from the Ghent public authorities … given the current local and international unrest, threats and recent incidents,” the organization wrote in a statement announcing that “the participation of the Israeli delegation” would be prohibited. “Decisions were based on Authorities holding concerns of high risk disturbance of public order, a significant threat and the inability to guarantee safety at the event if all teams were to participate as planned.”

It was for safety reasons, you see. The Israelis might need protection, but the league doesn’t want to protect the Israelis.

I use the word “want” intentionally: Belgium has the resources to secure a youth frisbee match. If it doesn’t secure the match, it is because it chose not to.

Back in January, the International Ice Hockey Federation came to the same conclusion and barred the Israelis from the tournament “until the safety and well-being of all participants (including Israeli participants) can be assured.”

Soon after that, the Jewish captain of South Africa’s under-19 cricket team, David Teeger, was relieved of his captainship because, according to the league: “We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament. We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on … David Teeger.”

At such global events, when the Israeli participants aren’t banished they must get creative. Eden Golan, the preternaturally poised singer who represented the Jewish state at Eurovision this year, revealed afterwards that she had to wear a disguise when going about Malmo during the Swedish competition.

If you are the holder of an Israeli passport, it is simply accepted by the world that it is dangerous for you to travel outside your designated village—Olympic or otherwise. Just hope the beds are comfortable and the air conditioning works, because you won’t have any other options.