Will Israeli fans be allowed to attend Hapoel Be'er Sheva's away game in the Netherlands? About a week after the Dutch AZ Alkmaar announced that it would not allow Be'er Sheva fans to attend the UEFA Europa League match, the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in The Hague are working to enable Israeli fans to support their team in the stadium.
Last week AZ Alkmaar announced that it would refuse entry to Israeli fans at its Europa League game against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The decision was attributed to concerns for the safety of staff and fears that the arrival of Israeli supporters could lead to riots and violence by Arab and pro-Arab rioters, similar to what occurred in Amsterdam nearly two years ago following Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Ajax.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry said it had been working from the outset to allow Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans to attend the match, after the city council announced the ban on their participation.
According to the ministry, “Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar raised the issue with his counterpart, and discussions were also held with the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Alkmaar municipality, demanding that the fans be allowed to attend and that the security of Hapoel Be’er Sheva supporters in and around the stadium be guaranteed. The Israeli Embassy in The Hague also held talks with the police, and the mission maintained close contact with Hapoel Be’er Sheva representatives and the Israel Football Association on the matter."
The Foreign Ministry added that “the Foreign Minister, the ministry, and the embassy will continue working with the Dutch government and the mayor of Alkmaar to allow Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans to attend and to ensure their security."