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Israel has condemned a decision by a Dutch city to ban fans of Israeli football team Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC from cheering on their side at a match this week, branding it a “stain on the Netherlands”.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva are due to play a Europa League match against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but the city of Alkmaar has barred supporters of the away team from attending the match, citing security concerns, it is understood.
The decision, first reported by a Dutch news site, Nieuwsuur, comes amid a flurry of antisemitic attacks in the Netherlands, and with the memory still fresh of Israeli supporters of another of the country’s teams, Maccabi Tel Aviv, being attacked on the streets of Amsterdam in November 2024.
Alkmaar officials have classified this week’s match as “very high risk”, according to Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Aviner Vapni, who reportedly spoke to the city’s mayor, Anja Schouten, urging her to find a way to allow Israeli fans to attend safely, even if only in limited numbers.
But a spokesperson for the mayor has insisted the decision is final and the match will take place without an away crowd, Nieuwsuur reported.
Israel’s foreign ministry has condemned the ban, and accused Alkmaar of "rewarding those who threaten and incite violence”.
It said in a statement: “Two years after Israelis were hunted through the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch answer is to ban the victims, not the attackers.
“Alkmaar’s exclusion of Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans rewards those who threaten and incite violence and runs counter to the very spirit of sport.”
The ministry continued: “This exclusion of Israelis comes amid a wave of antisemitic attacks in the Netherlands, fuelled by anti-Israel incitement from Dutch politicians and public figures.
Banning Israeli fans from attending the match, like boycotting Eurovision, is yet another stain on the Netherlands, as the country increasingly becomes one of the world’s leading hotspots for antisemitism.”
Two anti-Israel demonstrations are planned ahead of Thursday’s match, despite the ban on Israeli supporters.
Israel’s ambassador to the EU, Avi Nir-Feldklein, said he had planned to drive to Alkmaar to support Hapoel Be’er Sheva before discovering that Israeli fans had been barred.
“When Hezbollah and Hamas cheerleaders are allowed to march and celebrate the October 7th massacre, no wonder [the match is] 'high risk',” he said.
“Instead of stopping the extremists, they banned the fans.”
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