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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.
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