The route of Jerusalem’s first-ever marathon came under fire on Tuesday, with critics calling for the main sponsor to boycott the event which passes through the city’s occupied eastern sector.
Criticism of the route was outlined in a letter by three Jerusalem city councillors sent to German sportswear giant Adidas, one of the main sponsors of the event to take place in March.
In the letter, a copy of which was seen by AFP, the councillors urged Adidas to withdraw sponsorship of the event unless the route, which runs through the settlement neighbourhoods of Pisgat Zeev and French Hill, is changed.
Jerusalem's Holy City Marathon
“The path of the marathon is due to run through parts of east Jerusalem that are considered occupied territory by the international community and by us. For that reason, we object to the marathon as it is now planned,” the letter reads.
“We strongly encourage you to join in asking that the route of the marathon fit the boundaries of pre-1967 Jerusalem until the thorny issue of the city’s boundaries is set, in the framework of an international agreement,” it adds.
“As the event is now planned, we believe that anyone’s support — yours, ours or anyone else’s — is a grave mistake and encourages the violation of international law.”
The letter was signed by councillors Yosef Pepe Alalu, Meir Margalit and Laura Wharton, all members of the left-wing Meretz party. The March 25 event has been organised by the municipality, which also determined the route.
“This is a provocation. There are people who think that Jerusalem is a united city, including the government and the city council, but the whole world understands that it is not,” Alalu told AFP.
“Israel is the only one which thinks so. They want to prove that the city is united when it is not,” he said. “We are asking them to change the route so that it runs through just west Jerusalem,” which is predominantly Jewish.
There was no immediate response from the municipality.
Israel captured mostly Arab east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the rest of the world.
The Jewish state considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital, a claim also not recognised by the international community. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state. source sapa-afp