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Palestinians Threaten to Boycott Sponsors of Jerusalem Marathon
(New York Times) Jodi Rudoren - A lawyer representing Palestinian government agencies sent letters this week to the American sneaker company New Balance and the InterContinental hotel chain threatening a boycott and legal action if they did not withdraw their sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon. They say the marathon, scheduled for March 1, is a "serious breach" of international law because it runs through east Jerusalem, territory that Israel captured during the 1967 war and later annexed. The Israelis see it as part of their capital city. The Arab League called for a boycott of Adidas over its sponsorship of the Jerusalem marathon last year. "This is not politics, this is sport, this is culture," said Jerusalem spokesman Barak Cohen. "This is a major international event," noting that 2,000 of the more than 18,000 registered runners were from 52 countries. "Arab residents and Jewish residents are welcome to participate and celebrate together."