43. Biking in Palestine with Mohammad Zarour

Biking in Palestine is virtually impossible. Not for a lack of interest – but for the hostile Israeli occupation and indiscriminate settler violence. The longest biking route is 20km, before one runs into a military checkpoint or veers too close to an illegal Israeli settlement.

Mohammad Zarour was instrumental in launching and running several Palestinian biking initiatives – to support those passionate about biking and promote biking to interested Palestinian youth.

Most of these initiatives, however, are not able to operate anymore as the occupation has clamped down on most Palestinian organising, especially since the 7th of October 2023.

Israel routinely employs sportswashing to present itself in a preferable light. It hosts many biking events and has built biking trails in the state of Israel – many of which exist on the ruins of Palestinian villages that were depopulated during the Nakba of 1948.

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