Sasson in an automatic victory defeated the Egyptian with two throws in the first round.
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When Sasson was officially declared the victor, he tried multiple times to bow to El Shehaby, who refused each time.
Sasson approached El Shehaby to shake hands with him, but the Egyptian refused and turned his back.
However, the International Judo Federation said in a statement to the Associated Press that shaking hands is not mandatory, adding that El Shehaby had bowed instead.
Spokesman Nicolas Messner said judokas were under no obligation to shake hands, but bowing is compulsory.
It is customary in judo to both bow to opponents – a sign of respect in Japan – and shake hands after a bout is over, AFP noted.
El Shehaby reportedly didn’t explain himself afterward and it is possible his unsportsmanlike conduct sprung from losing the match.
“Nevertheless, after the Games the situation will be studied and analysed to see if further action must be taken”, Messner told Reuters.
El Shehaby, who is known for his extreme anti-Israel views, told Egyptian media outlets that he would make his decision closer to the fight.
Sasson, 25, described Friday as “a hard day” after four years of preparation but that he was satisfied with the outcome. “As I said, it’s in no way an excuse, but sometimes, for many reasons, athletes are unable to bring themselves to shake hands at the end and it’s a shame”. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry even watched the European soccer championships on TV with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Jerusalem in July.
Similar incidents have happened before between Israeli and Arab judo athletes.
El Shelby had been pressured back in Egypt not to compete against an Israeli at all.
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But the Saudi Olympic delegation tweeted that Fahmy had suffered injuries in her hand during training and did not quit for political reasons.
