Israeli soldiers participate in Sydney Marathon despite protests

What the report says

Hundreds of protesters lined parts of the Sydney Marathon course in Australia on Sunday to oppose the participation of Israeli soldiers in the race, according to Al Jazeera. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, wore keffiyehs and carried signs urging war-crimes suspects to be excluded, while critics also challenged the Australian government’s decision to issue visas for the visitors.

Al Jazeera reported that about 40 current and former Israeli soldiers were linked to the marathon delegation, including members of the Golani Brigade and Unit 8200. The outlet said it verified that at least one soldier completed the race. The article also identified one participant, Roy Oryon, as having served in a senior role in Golani’s 13th Battalion, which it said had fought in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The protests drew broader attention to Australia’s visa and screening processes. Activists and the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement argued that authorities should investigate people suspected of serious international crimes before allowing them to enter the country. An Australian Home Affairs spokesperson told Al Jazeera that visa applications are assessed case by case under migration law and that the department could not comment on individual cases.

The controversy came amid wider anger over Israel’s war in Gaza and over the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, whom Al Jazeera said was killed in a 2024 Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy. The Sydney race episode has become part of a larger debate in Australia over sporting events, visa policy and the country’s response to the Gaza conflict.