The Amsterdam city council voted last week to ban the entry of sports teams from West Bank Israeli settlements, occupied territories or whose fans support “racist and extremist views.”
Following the decision, published on Monday by Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf, Maccabi Tel Aviv will also be barred from entering the city after Sheher Khan, leader of the left-wing Denk party faction, stated that Maccabi fans “support genocide, which is reason enough.”
According to reports, an “urgent” letter will be sent this week to the Dutch Football Association and the country’s Olympic Committee to approve Amsterdam’s decision and prevent these teams from entering the city in the future.
Haaretz WeeklyGerman ambassador: ‘It’s not a coincidence that so many Israelis are considering moving abroad’
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Haaretz Weekly
German ambassador: ‘It’s not a coincidence that so many Israelis are considering moving abroad’
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Khan added that the proposal is written in general terms and does not target only Israeli teams but emphasized that Israeli clubs should be barred from participating in European football, similar to the existing ban on Russian clubs.
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On Wednesday, Maccabi Tel Aviv will play its first Europa League match against PAOK Thessaloniki. Later, the team will face Aston Villa, Lyon, and Stuttgart, among others.
Last November, hundreds of Maccabi fans were attacked in Amsterdam by pro-Palestinian rioters following a Europa League match against Ajax. So far, 122 suspects have been arrested, 86 of whom remain unidentified; 10 have stood trial, and nine were convicted.