"Suspicious normalization" race in Jerusalem and international championship in Nablus

Awad Rajoub-Hebron

The Palestinian National Committee for the Boycott of Israel (BNC) has warned of a "suspicious normalization" race planned for next week in Jerusalem.

The committee, which is the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society and leads the BDS movement globally, said that participation in this race or similar activities claiming "peace" to cover up the crimes of the occupation "violates the anti-normalization standards agreed upon by the overwhelming majority of Palestinian society. Since 2007 ".

The race, founded in 2014 by the Jewish-Arab Run Without Borders Association, promotes it as a "Jewish-Arab race."

In its advertisements for the November 8 race, the association focuses on the Palestinian population of Jerusalem, advertising them in Arabic, and ensures that its brochures include pictures of veiled women who participated in the race in previous years.

Jerusalemites view the race as a normal activity supported by the municipality of occupation in the city, and they view with suspicion those who participate in it.

According to the Palestinian National Committee for the Boycott of Israel, the organizers of the "Run Without Borders" group justified the launch as a reaction to "the escalation of violence, racism and tension in Jerusalem since the summer of 2014". Referring to the popular donation launched following the killing and burning of settlers Mohammed Abu Khudair from Shu'fat town, and without mentioning the military occupation and the Israeli persecution against our people in Jerusalem, the committee statement said.

The Committee stressed that liberation and salvation from this colony resists, and begins to stop all forms of normalization, whether security coordination or "running without borders" in a country torn by colonial borders and abhorrent military barriers.

International Championship in Nablus
On the other hand, the page of the coordinator of Palestinian affairs in the occupation government on Facebook that more than 300 athletes from forty delegations from Arab countries passed yesterday through the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby Crossing) to participate in an international taekwondo championship hosted by Palestine.

The coordinator, who published the image of the Moroccan delegation, said that the tournament will include delegations from Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, Germany, Russia, the United States, India, the Netherlands, Australia and Nigeria.

According to the media committee, the 4th Palestine International Taekwondo Championship kicks off on Friday, and will continue until next Sunday, and will be held in the hall of An-Najah National University in Nablus.