Israel Bars Gaza Runners From Bethlehem Marathon

[Purveyor]

Israel has refused to grant permission to 26 runners from the Gaza Strip to travel to the West Bank to run in the first Bethlehem marathon on April 21, officials said on Thursday.

The race, which begins at the Nativity Church, is the first event of its kind in the West Bank with more than 400 people registered to run, half of whom are Palestinians, organisers say.

But a group of runners from the Gaza Strip who signed up for the race, have been denied permission to travel by the COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry unit responsible for coordinating civilian affairs with the Palestinians.

According to Gisha, an Israeli watchdog which works to facilitate Palestinian freedom of movement, the group includes Olympic runner Nader al-Masri and another four people who had registered to run the full 42.2 kilometres (26 miles) and six who signed up for the 21.1 km half marathon.

Among the group is one woman runner and four trainers.

MORE...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/18/israel-bars-gaza-runners-from-bethlehem-marathon/

[oberliner]

1. "more than 400 people registered to run, half of whom are Palestinians, organisers say"

Only half of the participants are Palestinians? Why is that?

Oddly, a Palestinian cited in your OP says: "It is just a sport and has nothing to do with politics".

Yet, who are the organizers?

http://righttomovement.com/who-we-are/

I'm guessing Signe & Lærke are not themselves Palestinians.

This race seems to be a initiative spearheaded by white Europeans (who seem to make up a hefty portion (close to half?) of the participants).

In any case it's clearly got something to do with politics.

Maybe that's part of the reason why there is a Palestinian marathon in the West Bank where half the participants are not Palestinians.

[delrem]

2. Would it bother you if a Palestinian community sporting event had "something to do with politics"?

[LeftishBrit]

3. Here's a direct link to the Gisha site

http://www.gisha.org/item.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=1934

[delrem]

4. What do you make of the language in the official edict?

http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/LegalDocuments/procedures/entering_and_exiting_gaza/03en.pdf

The term "Judea and Samaria area" is used throughout and "West Bank" occurs nowhere.

This terminology exactly reflects what would be expected if Netanyahu's gov't fully accepted the report of the Levy Committee. The Levy Committee argues that this land is not "occupied" but in fact legally belongs to Israel, just because it legally belongs to the Jewish people, or nation, and that Palestinian Arabs in fact have no rights beyond the minimal civil and religious rights mentioned by the Balfour Declaration, and have no national rights whatsoever. National rights to unoccupied and state lands belong to Jews only.
see:
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.ca/2012/07/english-translation-of-legal-arguments.html

[King_David]

5. Would Hamas have allowed Gaza women to run?

I think NOT !!!

[delrem]

6. non sequitur.

[azurnoir]

7. well apparently Israel didn't either