Israeli athletes were harassed by members of the African National Congress (ANC) during South Africa’s Comrades Marathon on Sunday, after the youth wing of the largest political party in the South African government’s ruling coalition called for their exclusion from the race — an incident that has sparked international outrage and condemnation.

Every year, South Africa hosts the Comrades Marathon, the world’s oldest ultramarathon spanning 54 miles (87 kilometers) through the province of KwaZulu-Natal, in the southeast of the country. This year, the race drew nearly 19,000 runners from more than 80 countries.

Prior to the marathon, the ANC Youth League for the province of KwaZulu-Natal (ANCYL-KZN) publicly released the names and race numbers of the Israeli runners in a statement that called on organizers to “reverse” their decision to allow them to compete.

“Symbolic acts of international solidarity must translate into tangible actions,” the youth league said in the statement.

“Allowing representatives of an apartheid state to participate in an event as iconic and morally significant as the Comrades Marathon sends a dangerous and conflicting message, one that undermines the very principles this race has come to embody such as unity, sacrifice and justice,” the statement continued.

Despite being allowed to compete, Israeli runners were harassed along the course by ANC members waving Palestinian flags.

Some carried signs accusing Israel of “war crimes,” while others shouted antisemitic slogans such as, “Down, down Israel, you are not welcome here” and “This is not your land — go home!”

The @MYANC @ANCYLhq published names and badge numbers of Israeli participants in @ComradesRace. They then tracked and harassed them.
@GaytonMcK, would love your thoughts.. pic.twitter.com/ClrJWonJMR

— Howard Feldman (@HowardFeldman) June 9, 2025

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), the umbrella group of the country’s Jewish community, condemned the incident, describing the attacks by “anti-Israel protesters” on Israeli runners as “the antithesis of the very spirit of the Comrades.”

“We are equally dismayed by the ANCYL in KwaZulu-Natal’s statement calling for the exclusion of Israeli athletes, identified by name and race number, to facilitate targeted harassment. This is a form of doxing, which is reprehensible,” SAJBD said in the statement.

“The harassment of these athletes exemplifies the anti-Israeli movement’s unwanted and unconstitutional exploitation of public spaces to antagonize and intimidate those who challenge its narrow political bent,” the statement continued.

“These theatrical displays make no contribution toward improving or saving a single life in Gaza,” SAJBD added.

The European Jewish Association (EJA) also denounced the harassment, warning of its dangerous consequences.

“When the names of Jews or Israelis are deliberately published like this — especially after the horrifying incidents we’ve seen in the US in recent weeks — it’s not activism, and it’s certainly not politics,” EJA wrote in a post on X, referring to the shooting of two Israel embassy staffers in Washington, DC last month and the firebombing of a pro-Israel gathering in Boulder, Colorado less than two weeks later.

“It’s hatred. And it’s a call for violence,” the group said.

When the names of Jews or Israelis are deliberately published like this — especially after the horrifying incidents we’ve seen in the U.S. in recent weeks — it’s not activism, and it’s certainly not politics.

It’s hatred.
And it’s a call for violence.

Did the ANC members who… https://t.co/XU42nu4Wxa

— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) June 10, 2025

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) also condemned the harassment of Israeli participants, stating that such actions reinforce the ANC’s apparent intent to alienate and marginalize those with differing views.

“This action is not an isolated occurrence. It forms part of a broader, deliberate campaign to denormalize Israelis and the Jewish connection to Israel in South Africa, and to discriminate against them,” SAZF told The Algemeiner. “For a minority community, this kind of targeted hostility is deeply concerning and creates an atmosphere of fear and exclusion.”

“We call on the Comrades Marathon organizers to investigate how such blatant discrimination was allowed to occur at a major sporting event, and we will engage the relevant authorities to demand concrete action that ensures the safety, dignity, and equal treatment of all participants in the future,” the group continued.

Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the South African government has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel on the international stage, repeatedly targeting the Jewish state through diplomatic actions.

Since December 2023, South Africa has been pursuing its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing “state-led genocide” in its defensive war against the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza.

Israeli leaders have condemned the case as an “obscene exploitation” of the Genocide Convention, noting that the Jewish state is targeting terrorists who use civilians as human shields in its military campaign.

Last year, the ICJ ruled there was “plausibility” to South Africa’s claims that Palestinians had a right to be protected from genocide. However, the top UN court did not make a determination on the merits of South Africa’s allegations, which may take years to go through the judicial process.

Instead, the ICJ issued a more general directive that Israel must make sure it prevents acts of genocide. The ruling also called for the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 rampage.

The ruling ANC lost its majority in parliament last year for the first time in South Africa’s post-apartheid democratic history. However, it still remained the largest party and retained power at the national level through a coalition.

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