Sydney Marathon Draws Protest Over Israeli Military Participants

Hundreds of protesters lined the Sydney Marathon route to denounce the involvement of Israeli soldiers in the elite event, with pro‑Palestine activists demanding that Australia’s government clarify the athletes’ entry into the country.

Forty Israeli soldiers, some allegedly tied to actions in Gaza that rights groups describe as genocidal, sparked a week‑long online campaign by activists urging race organisers and authorities to reconsider their participation.

Al Jazeera confirmed that at least one Israeli soldier completed the marathon, finishing the race.

The Israeli contingent comprised members of the army’s elite Golani Brigade and Unit 8200, the military’s signal‑intelligence division.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry member, who found Israel guilty of genocide in Gaza, has called the Golani Brigade one of the “most criminally accused” units in the Israeli armed forces.

Roy Oryon, a participant in the delegation, acted as deputy company commander in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, which saw combat in Gaza and later played a leading role in Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon.

Members of the Golani Brigade have also been implicated in an ambush that killed 15 paramedics and rescue workers in Gaza during the previous year.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs’ decision to issue visas to the soldiers has drawn widespread criticism and calls for scrutiny.

Online advocacy groups urged race organisers and government officials to investigate and consider prosecution of the participants, some of whom have been publicly identified along with their military units.

“Australian authorities have a legal obligation to act,” the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement said in a statement, emphasising its mission to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and to terminate the occupation.

The statement added, “Every state is obliged to investigate and prosecute those suspected of committing genocide.”

Al Jazeera inquired whether the individuals had undergone additional security or character vetting under Ministerial Direction 110 of Australia’s Migration Act, which permits visa denial for those linked to groups “reasonably” suspected of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity.

A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on specific cases, citing privacy considerations.

The spokesperson noted that “all non‑citizens wishing to travel to, enter, or remain in Australia must meet the requirements of the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994, covering identity, health, character, and security criteria.”

The department’s assessment process, the spokesperson added, is “case‑by‑case,” based on health, character, and security criteria mandated by Australia’s migration legislation.

The soldiers arrived in Australia shortly after Israel’s military declined to launch a criminal investigation into the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.

In April 2024, Israeli forces killed the 43‑year‑old aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of his colleagues while they were traveling in a World Central Kitchen convoy; the convoy was struck by three drone attacks.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) urged “urgent scrutiny” of the reported Israeli participants in the event the previous week.

In a Thursday statement, APAN asserted that Australia cannot claim to uphold international law while potentially permitting individuals suspected of serious international crimes, including possible genocide, to enter the country without proper investigation. The group called on the Australian Government and the Australian Police Force to intervene before the marathon takes place.

The statement also rebuked several Australia‑based Israel‑affiliated organisations for sponsoring the arrival of up to 40 current and former Israeli soldiers—reportedly including Golani Brigade members linked to the killing of humanitarian workers in Rafah—to compete in the Sydney Marathon, which it likened to an “Orwellian exercise in cultural exchange.”

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