Fears over ‘high risk’ France-Israel football match in Paris

France getting ready to host of israel The national football team took part in a match deemed “high risk” by authorities following last week’s violence in Amsterdam.

Violence exploded Ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s five-goal defeat against Ajax in the Dutch capital on Thursday.

According to Dutch locals and police, Maccabi fans tore down Palestinian flags on private property, threatened locals and threw projectiles at passersby.

He was also filmed chanting racist slogans against Arabs; This sparked a reaction from the local population, including members of the Moroccan community; Dozens of Maccabi fans were injured in this incident, including at least one fan who was forced into the canal.

Dutch police reported After approximately 60 people were arrested, Israel organized emergency flights to repatriate its citizens.

Despite eyewitness accounts detailing a series of provocations carried out by Maccabi fans, Western media outlets and politicians characterized the events as an anti-Semitic pogrom.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that he would attend the UEFA Nations League event scheduled for Thursday at the Stade de France near Paris, in order to “send a message of brotherhood and solidarity after the intolerable anti-Semitic actions that followed the match in Amsterdam.”

On Friday, Macron “unequivocally condemned” the “violence against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam” that recalled “the most shameful hours in history”.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that the match scheduled for 14 November will not be changed, following many calls to follow the example of the match played between the two teams in Budapest in October.

“Some are calling for the venue of the France-Israel match to be changed. I do not accept this: France is not backing down because this would mean giving up in the face of threats of violence and antisemitism,” Retailleau said. sent In X.

Neither Macron nor Retailleau mentioned racist chants against Arabs or violence committed by Maccabi fans.

Mobilization

France announced that extraordinary measures would be taken to ensure security in the upcoming match, with a total of 4,000 police officers and gendarmes mobilized.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said such a deployment corresponded to a “highly strengthened system” and was “very unusual” for an international match. in question Sunday.

The first rows of the stands will be closed to prevent interference with the field. Mobile force units and plainclothes police officers will be on duty in the stands, while the elite unit of the national police, Raid, will be responsible for the security of the Israeli team.

Israeli hooligans provoke clashes in Amsterdam after chanting anti-Palestinian slogans

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Palestinian flags will also be banned in the stadium.

Nunez said, “There will be no Palestinian flag in the France Stadium. There will only be French or Israeli flags and messages of support for the teams.” he said.

“There can be no political messages in stadiums, this is the law,” he added.

The decision came after the hearing opening A giant banner reading “Free Palestine” was held up by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans last Wednesday ahead of the club’s UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

french interior minister condemned The banner threatened the “unity” of the sport, arguing that such displays “don’t belong in stadiums”.

Meanwhile, the match between France and Israel was condemned by professionals as “sportswashing”.Palestine activists.

A. petition He has been doing the rounds for several weeks now, calling for the France-Israel match to be canceled and Israel’s exclusion from all international sporting competitions, denouncing the “sportswashing of crimes against humanity”.

FIFA repeatedly deferred Decision regarding the suspension request of the Israel Football Association. The petition accused world football’s governing body of double standards and complicity in Israel’s war crimes.

“While FIFA has approved and imposed sanctions on other countries’ failure to respect these commitments (to protect human rights) (South Africa for its apartheid policy from 1962 to 1992, and more recently Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine), Israel It allows.” “Disregarding international humanitarian law with complete impunity,” the petition reads.

FLASH | « Genocide in Gaza, everything is fine! ». Pro-Palestinian militants occupied the FFF siege to finish the France-Israel match in 14th place.
pic.twitter.com/3B88Dnilzl

— Cerfia (@CerfiaFR) November 4, 2024

Translation: “‘We cannot ignore the genocide in Gaza!'”Pro-Palestinian activists occupied the (French Football Association) headquarters to cancel the France-Israel match scheduled for (Thursday).'”

The call to cancel the match was made by some French MPs from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party, such as Manuel Bompard. he asked For “cancellation of the France-Israel match due to crimes committed by the Israeli army”.

Some users on social media also condemned “Double standards” as demonstrations of support for other causes were allowed on the country’s sports arenas following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Since Israel started its destruction war in Gaza Last year, following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, activists in France condemned the increasing crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices and called for so-called “pro-Palestinian conflict”Apologizing for terrorism” charge.

Recently Retailleau announced On Saturday, the LFI took legal action against MP Marie Mesmeur on the grounds that she had “apologised for the offence” after writing on X that Israeli hooligans in Amsterdam were “lynched not because they were Jews, but because they were racists and supported genocide”. “

Participation is expected to be low

In an environment of increasing security concerns and tense geopolitics, attendance at Thursday’s France-Israel match is expected to be intense. historically low.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 fans are expected; this is the lowest number of points ever recorded in a French national team match at the Stade de France.

Some attributed the low turnout to calls to boycott the match.

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LFI MP Thomas Portes wrote “The people of France refuse to participate in this operation to exonerate a government that committed genocide through sport,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Sports will never be neutral. Israel needs to be ostracized by nations to stop the planned killing of the Palestinian people, and sports competitions are no exception,” he added.

Security concerns also explain the low numbers. On Sunday, Israeli authorities urged fans to avoid attending the match.

Tensions ahead of the event rose further on Sunday when international right-wing Jewish group Betar announced plans to hold a rally in Paris to combat antisemitism on the eve of the match.

The rally will take place on the same day as the “Israel Forever” gala organized by many far-right figures in support of Israel in the French capital.

French non-governmental organizations, unions and left-wing parties condemned Far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich, known for his calls for genocide in Gaza, and lawyer Nili Kupfer-Naouri will also attend the gala.

But the French administrative court ruled on Saturday that there was no reason to ban the gala.

Police chief to justify refusal to cancel event in question Stating that the gala on Sunday brought together “barely a few hundred people” and was “held every year”, he stated that the Israeli minister would not participate in this trip.

“I understand that it won’t be there in the end,” he said.