Israelis Concerned About the Safety of Sports Teams Abroad

The attacks on Thursday night, November 9, against supporters of the Tel Aviv football club "Maccabi" in Amsterdam, Netherlands, have raised concerns among some Israelis that travel for Israeli sports teams and their fans to other countries is not safe. According to the Associated Press citing Dutch officials, Israeli fans were attacked by a group of angry youths in Amsterdam after the match between Ajax and Maccabi in the European club competitions. Dutch, Israeli, and European officials condemned these "anti-Semitic" attacks, which resulted in injuries to several Israelis. Following these events, Amsterdam police arrested dozens on charges of participating in the attacks against Maccabi fans. Despite the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, domestic club competitions are being held in Israel, but due to a ruling by the European Football Association, the country cannot host international football competitions for security reasons. Israeli teams hold their home games in Hungary, Serbia, and Cyprus. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has introduced Hungary as the safest European country for Jews. He has banned demonstrations by Palestinian supporters on the grounds that they pose a threat to the security of the country. The Israeli national football team has held all its home games in the UEFA Nations League in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Maccabi Tel Aviv, the only Israeli men's team to qualify for European club competitions this season, has played its home games in Hungary and Serbia. The Belgian national football team, which hosted the Israeli national team in September, moved this UEFA Nations League match to Hungary for security reasons, and the game was held without spectators. Other Israeli games have taken place without incident, but the violent events in Amsterdam could change the situation for all sports disciplines. The Israeli National Security Council has urged Maccabi basketball fans not to travel to Italy to support their team against "Bologna." The council also advised Israelis to avoid carrying signs or symbols that could identify them. Italian police announced that following the events in Amsterdam, security measures for the basketball match would be increased. In recent months, during competitions involving Israeli sports teams in various European cities, including the Paris Olympics, Palestinian supporters have organized protests, but no security incidents or violent events occurred. The next match for the Israeli national football team in the UEFA Nations League will be on Thursday in Paris against the French national team. Bruno Retailleau, the French Minister of the Interior, stated on Friday that the permit for this match was issued after police assured him they could ensure security and control the spectators. Assaf Nahum, spokesperson for the Israeli football club "Beitar," stated that Israelis must ensure necessary security measures are in place in Paris and at the match venue. He added that, given the events in Amsterdam, convincing Israeli fans to travel to Paris and support the Israeli national football team would be "harder." Meanwhile, Palestinian supporters continue their efforts to bar Israel from participating in international football competitions. They have called for a similar ban on Israel, citing the exclusion of Russia from international football competitions due to its military invasion of Ukraine. FIFA refrained from suspending Israel in October but called for disciplinary investigations into possible discrimination by Israeli officials against Palestinians. Protests in Amsterdam, Netherlands, have been banned for three days. The attack on Israelis in Amsterdam raised concerns about the possibility of hostage situations. The attack on Israeli citizens in Amsterdam has been condemned by the United States.