The right to run in the West Bank

Marathons unite and inspire people with their freedom of movement – except in Palestine

A Palestinian protester argues with Israeli border policemen during a protest against the closure of a main road connecting Ramallah with Nablus due to a marathon by Jewish settlers. Mohamad Torokman / ReutersShow less

It was the author Alan Sillitoe who characterised long-distance runners as lonely, although that suggestion sidesteps the fact that many runners compete as much for the camaraderie as they do for the competition. Certainly, running is popular the world over, even under occupation in the West Bank, although events there tend to take on a more political and complex edge.

Two weeks ago, the city of Bethlehem played host to the “Right to Movement” marathon. More than 650 runners from around the world ran on an 11-kilometre track around the ancient city to highlight movement restriction imposed by Israel’s occupation. West Bank Palestinians are unable to find a 42.1km unbroken distance in any of their major cities.

Not to be outdone, Israeli settlers organised their own marathon, dubbed the Bible marathon. Starting yesterday morning inside Israel’s 1948 borders, the race ran through the heart of the West Bank, ending at the Israeli settlement of Shiloh. While the event didn’t explicitly bar Palestinians from joining, the Israeli military coordinated all security for the race and it was widely considered an antagonistic demonstration of control by Israel. The military closed down the main road connecting Nablus and Ramallah to all Palestinian traffic during the race, which was held in the middle of the working day, and several Palestinian towns along the route were placed under closure. Far from upholding the spirit of togetherness, the settler marathon, as Palestinians referred to it, highlighted Israel’s domination over all aspects of Palestinian life, not least sport.

The ability of sport to resolve conflict is undeniable. While Israel is happy to host settler marathons, its position in the international sporting community is less secure. The Palestine football association recently pressured Fifa to ban Israel from competition over the myriad restrictions that Israel places on Palestinian footballers. Israel only gained full membership to Uefa in 1994 and that could be easily revoked thanks to its continuing occupation. After all, sport is about the triumph of unity and spirit – two ingredients in short supply in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.