On Sunday, an anti-Israel activist group, incited by South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), targeted Israeli runners participating in the Comrades Marathon, a well-known ultramarathon in South Africa.
Protesters shouted at the Israeli athletes to “go home,” while also chanting “free Palestine,” suggesting that they did not see Israel as these runners’ true home. The activists waved Palestinian flags and pursued the competitors along the course.
The Comrades Marathon features a challenging route, either uphill from Durban to Pietermaritzburg or downhill in alternate years, with participants often taking all day to finish, making it one of the premier endurance races globally.
Before the race, the ANC Youth League publicly condemned the involvement of Israeli runners and even shared the names and race numbers of these competitors, encouraging spectators to confront them.
A large contingent of activists took their cue from this, lining the course to harass the confused runners, while police attempted to manage the situation.
The International Olympic Committee has strict guidelines that can impose penalties on nations that allow or promote harassment of athletes based on their nationality.
The ANC is the dominant party in the Government of National Unity. South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton Mackenzie, who is not associated with the ANC, is known to be pro-Israel. However, by Monday afternoon, he had yet to address the incident.
