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Israel Bars Gaza Palestinians From Bethlehem Marathon

Daoud Kuttab laments Israeli restrictions to prevent runners from Gaza from participating in a marathon in Bethlehem.
Runners take part in a 10 km race, as part of the second annual Gaza Marathon, organized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip March 1, 2012. According to UNWRA, nearly 2,000 runners, Palestinians, foreigners and children, took part in the Gaza running events on Thursday, held to raise funds for the agency's 2012 Summer Games. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: SPORT POLITICS) - RTR2YOBB

Sports has often been a national unifying factor. Palestine is no exception.

Palestinian sports has received public and community attention for some time, indeed, ever since the International Olympic committee allowed Palestinian athletes to participate in the Atlanta games in 1996. Majid Abu Maraheel, 32, a distance runner from Gaza and a father of five, was one of three Palestinians who had the honor of carrying the Palestinian flag for the first time in any Olympic meet. Maraheel, a member of the presidential security force, trained for years on the shores of the Mediterranean and thus qualified to run in long-distance races in Atlanta.

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