A man standing on an Israeli flag and giving a Nazi salute was seen on April 20 along the Boston Marathon route between mile 3 and mile 5.
Video of the incident shows a black man with a Hitler-style mustache, wearing a red armband, standing on an Israeli flag and yelling “Heil Hitler” and “Happy 4/20"—both the date of the marathon and Adolf Hitler’s birthday—as runners pass.
Yoel Levy, who runs marathons wearing a Batman costume in memory of Ariel and Kfir Bibas—two red-headed boys who were murdered, along with their mother Shiri, by Hamas terrorists after the attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023—said runners were “frustrated” with the incident.
“He is allowed his own opinion,” Levy said. “But during a marathon, there’s a time and place. That was just disturbing, not just for Jewish runners but for non-Jewish runners.”
Benjamin Sharoni, Israel’s consul general to New England, called the spectator’s conduct “disgusting and beyond the pale.”
“This is open Jew-hatred, plain and simple,” he said. “Hitler’s regime murdered 6 million Jews. Dressing as Hitler, marking his birthday, performing Nazi salutes and stomping on the flag of Israel—home to half the world’s Jews—to target Boston Marathon runners is not a costume. It is intimidation.”
The Boston Athletic Association condemned the spectator’s actions on April 24, days after the marathon.
“The Boston Marathon is an event that brings together athletes, volunteers, spectators and community members from around the world,” the BAA stated. “There is no place for hatred of any kind at the Boston Marathon or in running. It is a day which celebrates the triumph of the human spirit, hard work and the pursuit of goals.”
The individual has not yet been identified.
