Israeli soccer fans face antisemitism during match in Germany

Maccabi Haifa fans were at the receiving end of antisemitic gestures and slurs by Union Berlin supporters • UB president: "This behavior is shameful and we won't tolerate it"

 FANS ARE set to fill the stands as the Israel Premier League season begins this weekend, with Maccabi Haifa looking to satisfy its supporters with another title.  (photo credit: JOSHUA HALICKMAN)
FANS ARE set to fill the stands as the Israel Premier League season begins this weekend, with Maccabi Haifa looking to satisfy its supporters with another title.
(photo credit: JOSHUA HALICKMAN)

Supporters of the Union Berlin soccer team reportedly made antisemitic gestures and slurs towards fans of the Israeli Maccabi Haifa team at Olympiastadion in Berlin during their soccer game on Thursday. 

Members of the German-Israeli Society Youth Forum reported that they had beer thrown at them and that one Berlin fan had attempted to burn an Israeli flag.

"We're at the game of #UECL between @fcunion and @mhfootballclub. In the mixed block we were threatened by Union fans, pelted with beer and insulted, among other things, as 's****y Jews,'" the tweet read.

Maccabi Haifa lost 3-0 to the German team. The game was played as part of the group stage qualification round for the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League. There were nearly 24,000 Berlin fans and 1,000 Haifa fans at the event.

Union Berlin plays in the Bundesliga, the top professional league in Germany, while Maccabi Haifa plays in the Israeli Premier League, the top league in Israel.

The Olympiastadion, where the match was held, was constructed between 1934 and 1936, according to the stadium's website, during the time when the Nazi Party controlled Germany. Maccabi Haifa is reportedly the first Israeli club to play at the stadium, according to Yahoo News.

Maccabi Haifa fans were situated in close proximity to the away end at the stadium, DW News reported.

Union Berlin asked authorities to give them the information of the block and seat numbers of the people responsible for the antisemitic incident. 

The German club also condemned the attack on their website. "This behavior is shameful and we won't tolerate it. We apologize to those affected. We support the investigations of the police with all sources of information available to us," said FC Union Berlin's president Dirk Zingler.

"Football matches are our opportunity to break down prejudices through meeting and contact with each other. Many of us had good meetings and discussions with our guests from Haifa and representatives of Jewish organizations in Berlin yesterday," he continued.   


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The German-Israeli Society Youth Forum thanked Union fans who showed solidarity at the stadium and spoke out against their fellow fans' antisemitic behavior.

"Thank you for the great hospitality. It was an exciting game in front of your and our audience and also in this stadium that has its meaning. Thank you and see you in Israel," the organization said on Twitter.

The Israeli team had not issued any comment on the incident, but thanked Union Berlin for "an exciting game in front of your crowd and also in front of ours."