Dutch protesters are planning demonstrations ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Europa League clash between AZ Alkmaar and Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC, amid calls for action against Israel. Two anti-Israel demonstrations are scheduled ahead of the match in Alkmaar, even as city authorities have barred supporters of the Israeli club…...
Dutch protesters are planning demonstrations ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Europa League clash between AZ Alkmaar and Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC, amid calls for action against Israel.
Two anti-Israel demonstrations are scheduled ahead of the match in Alkmaar, even as city authorities have barred supporters of the Israeli club from attending the fixture over security concerns.
Dutch news outlet Nieuwsuur first reported the decision, saying local authorities had classified the match as “very high risk”.
The ban has drawn criticism from Israel, with its foreign ministry accusing Alkmaar of “rewarding those who threaten and incite violence”.
In a statement, according to The Jewish Chronicle, the ministry said, “Two years after Israelis were hunted through the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch answer is to ban the victims, not the attackers.”
It added, “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 also linked the decision to what it described as a wider wave of antisemitic attacks in the Netherlands, arguing that anti-Israel rhetoric from politicians and public figures had contributed to the situation.
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“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,” the statement said.
Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Aviner Vapni, reportedly appealed to Alkmaar Mayor Anja Schouten to reconsider the restriction and explore arrangements that would allow Israeli supporters to attend safely, even in limited numbers.
However, a spokesperson for the mayor said the decision was final and the match would proceed without an away crowd, Nieuwsuur reported.
Israel’s ambassador to the European Union, Avi Nir-Feldklein, also criticised the ban, saying he had planned to travel to Alkmaar to support Hapoel Be’er Sheva before learning that Israeli fans would be excluded.
“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.”
The dispute comes against the backdrop of the November 2024 attacks on Israeli supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam, an incident that heightened concerns over the safety of Israeli football fans in the Netherlands.