After reports by Boston Marathon participants that they were saluted by a man dressed as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler standing on an Israeli flag, the Boston Athletic Association and Anti-Defamation (BAA) League New England denounced the incident on Friday.
A video of the incident uploaded by marathon runner Michal Yalovski showed a man raising his arm in a Nazi salute while stating, “Happy 4/20,” the date of the marathon and the coinciding birth date of Hitler. Yalovski told The Jerusalem Post that every marathon she ran, she found herself searching the crowds for Israeli flags, something that gave her “strength and a sense of connection.”
“I was genuinely happy when I spotted one – until my mind fully processed what I was seeing, and that feeling quickly turned into shock and horror,” said Yalovski. “I was in complete disbelief – frozen, struggling to understand how something like this could be happening. How is it possible to witness such open hatred and antisemitism in 2026, in the United States?”
Yalovski filmed the incident because she wanted to document it and didn’t want to remain silent, but was troubled by the inaction of others.
“Hundreds of police officers and security personnel were deployed along the course, yet no one stopped him or made him put an end to his actions. Even among the runners nearby, no one spoke up or confronted what was happening. I couldn’t stop thinking about that silence,” she said.
The runner’s video was broadcast on American news channels, and while the BAA didn’t explicitly address the antisemitism, Yalovski said that the footage prompted the organizers not to ignore what happened.
The BAA said in response to the “hateful actions by a spectator” that the marathon had “no place for hatred of any kind” and instead was meant to bring “together athletes, volunteers, spectators, and community members from around the world.”
'Vile display of antisemitism has no place at the marathon'
ADL New England condemned the incident, alleging that the Hitler impersonator had harassed those he perceived to be Jewish or Israeli with salutes.
“The Boston Marathon is a cherished tradition that celebrates human achievement, community, and resilience,” the ADL branch said in a statement.
“It is a day when people of all backgrounds come together to support one another and honor the strength of the human spirit. This vile display of antisemitism has no place at the marathon or anywhere in our communities.”
Israeli consul to New England Benjamin Sharoni said that the incident was an attempt to intimidate Jewish runners.
“The conduct of the individual exposed in this report is disgusting and beyond the pale. This is open Jew-hatred, plain and simple,” Sharoni said on X/Twitter. “This has no place on the streets of Boston or anywhere else and must be condemned without reservation.”