Israeli envoy accuses Dutch mayor of double standard over soccer fan ban, protests

(Oct. 14, 2026 / JNS)

Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Vapni, accused Alkmaar’s mayor of having an anti-Israel agenda for banning Israeli soccer fans while allowing pro-Palestinian demonstrations near the stadium.

Vapni said Mayor Anja Schouten rejected his request to allow even 150 Hapoel Beersheva supporters to attend Thursday’s Europa League match against Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. “It look[s] quite clear the mayor does not genuinely care about security, but about an activist agenda that is anti-Israeli or maybe even worse,” Vapni wrote on X.

Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that two demonstrations had been registered, with protesters assigned a location outside the stadium grounds.

The ban on visiting Israeli fans was announced Sept. 30 following a security assessment by local authorities, who cited concerns about potential confrontations. Schouten defended the restriction as necessary for public safety, while maintaining that demonstrations must be accommodated under Dutch law.