A marathon between ruins, protest art and political symbolism. And while a war is still raging in the background, the healing power of sport is suddenly discovered. The only remarkable thing is how selective this freedom appears to be.
In the Gaza Strip, men are allowed to run for freedom, while women are not allowed to take part. Internationally, of course, almost no one talks about that. Instead, the focus reliably turns to Israel’s security barriers, as if walls appeared overnight and not after years of terror attacks, suicide bombings and rocket barrages.
The “Palestine Marathon” has long been more than a sporting event. It is a perfectly staged PR run with global media accompaniment: Israel as oppressor, Palestinians as eternal victims — and their own political responsibility elegantly disappears behind race numbers and statements of solidarity.
The Palestine Marathon returned for the first time since the war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, to the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria as well as to the Gaza Strip. Usama Nicola wrote for...
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