“It is disturbing that only Israeli athletes were singled out for harassment," the South African Jewish Board of Deputies says.
Half a dozen Israeli runners who participated in the annual Comrades Marathon in South Africa on Sunday, June 8, were harassed during the race by members of the ANC Youth League for the province of KwaZulu-Natal (ANCYL-KZN).
Prior to the marathon, their names and race numbers were made public in a statement released by the ANCYL-KZN. The statement also called for the exclusion of Israeli runners.
The Comrades Marathon is the world’s oldest ultramarathon and was named to honor the camaraderie among the diverse participants. The 2025 Comrades Marathon attracted some 19,000 runners from more than 80 countries. The race is run in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) from the city of Pietermaritzburg to Durban.