Brief Clash During France-Israel Football Match Amid Heavy Security Measures

A week after an attack on fans of an Israeli football club in Amsterdam, the national football teams of Israel and France faced each other in Paris under heavy security measures, with brief clashes occurring among some fans. According to the Associated Press, only 16,600 tickets out of the 80,000 capacity of the stadium were sold, and about 150 Israeli fans made it to the stadium. Laurent Nunez, the head of the French police, stated that 4,000 police officers and security personnel were deployed inside and around the stadium, with an additional 1,500 police present in public transport and the city to prevent any potential violence. A number of Palestinian fans gathered in protest against the match a few hours before it took place in one of Paris's squares. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized in a television interview just hours before attending the match at the Stade de France that France will never succumb to anti-Semitism. On Friday, November 18, fans of the Israeli Maccabi team were attacked by a number of Palestinian fans in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam police described the attack as 'organized and widespread' and reported that five people were hospitalized and 62 were arrested following the unrest. On the same day, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau stated that despite the violent attack on Israeli football fans in Amsterdam, the competition between Israel and France in the Nations League would proceed as planned. He stressed, 'France will not retreat, as doing so would mean surrendering to violent threats and anti-Semitism.' Israel urged its citizens not to attend the football match against France, while the Netherlands is investigating the 'disregarding of Israeli warnings' prior to the Amsterdam incidents. Israelis are concerned about the safety of their sports teams in other countries. The attack on Israelis in Amsterdam raised concerns about the possibility of hostage-taking, according to the police.