Israel Demands that Alkmaar Allows Football Supporters to Attend Match
The Foreign Ministry says safety can be ensured as Dutch authorities cite security concerns and bar supporters from the Europa League match.
- On Tuesday, Alkmaar's municipality confirmed that Hapoel Beersheva supporters are banned from Thursday's Europa League match against AZ, citing security concerns; the match will proceed without an away crowd.
- Mayor Anja Schouten relocated two registered protests to the Rhijnvis Feithlaan, but local police reported insufficient space to separate demonstrators from fans, forcing the Municipality to exclude away supporters entirely.
- Israel Foreign Ministry condemned the decision on Monday as 'punishing the victims' of antisemitic violence, stating the ban 'rewards those who threaten and incite violence' and runs counter to sport's spirit.
- Ambassador Avi Nir-Feldklein criticized the exclusion, noting this marks the second ban on Hapoel Beersheva in under a month and saying 'Instead of stopping the extremists, they banned the fans.'
- This security protocol follows violence in November 2024 when fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were attacked in Amsterdam, a pattern now affecting Israeli clubs competing in the UEFA Europa League across the Netherlands.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Israel asks Netherlands to lift ban on Israeli football club fans attending Europa League match
Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in The Hague said they would continue working with the Dutch government and Alkmaar’s mayor to ensure that Hapoel Be'er Sheva supporters are allowed to attend the Europa League match.
Fearing confrontations between protesters, supporter groups, and the police, the municipality of Alkmaar has designated a demonstration site outside the stadium grounds ahead of the football match between AZ and the Israeli club Hapoel Be'er Sheva. That Europa League match will be played tomorrow evening. Two demonstrations have been registered with the municipality around the time of the match. The demonstrators are not allowed to stand at the…
The Europa League match between AZ Alkmaar and Hapoel Beer Sheva sparked a diplomatic row before kick-off, with Dutch authorities banning Israeli fans from attending the match, a decision Israel called discriminatory and anti-Semitic.
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