The EU and Member States joined on Friday 23rd of March thousands of Palestinians running the Palestine Marathon organized in Bethlehem. The EU team of over 200 participants ran under the theme “Europeans for Human Rights“.
Human rights are at the core of the values on which the EU is built. The protection and promotion of human rights is a fundamental part of the EU’s relations with its partners outside the European Union. The EU is committed to the vision that all people, Palestinians included, must enjoy their basic human rights.
“The Palestine Marathon attracts thousands of Palestinian and international participants. It brings attention to one of the basic human rights which is under threat in the occupied Palestinian territory: freedom of movement,” said the EU Representative Ralph Tarraf. “We are proud that this year we have a team of 200 runners. We came to run as “Europeans for Human Rights” he added.
This year around the globe we mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Freedom of movement is one right Palestinians who have been living under Israeli occupation for the past 50 years cannot fully enjoy.
The Palestine Marathon is organized by the Palestine Olympic Committee (POC). The objective of the POC pursuit in the Palestine Marathon is to focus the lens on the basic right to move freely in Palestine.
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The Office of the European Union Representative (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA)