MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Russia is against barring Israeli athletes from international events, believing that sports and politics should not be intertwined, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with the Match TV channel.

"Many questions are asked of me, of our representatives in international organizations: why are Israeli athletes being permitted [to compete] despite the catastrophe in Gaza, despite the policy course conducted by Israel - what do you think about that?" the diplomat said. "Our country’s stance on this matter is above board," she noted.

"It's our position that politics must be kept separate from sports. We are assessing what Israel is doing. We give an honest assessment to what is going on in Gaza. That said, we believe that in no case should athletes be politicized," the diplomat emphasized.

Zakharova additionally noted that "countries are demanding even tougher measures against Russia while at the same time saying that Russian athletes have no right to talk about double standards." Russia’s response is "You are crossing the line of any reason, you have no right to do so, read the Charter and the UNGA’s resolutions," the diplomat added.