Israel has condemned the Netherlands for the decision to ban Israeli football fans from attending a Europa League match just two years after the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked in Amsterdam while attending an Ajax match.
Dutch news site Nieuwsuur was the first to report that Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans have been banned from attending a match against AZ Alkmaar in Alkmaar on Thursday over security concerns.
Israeli Ambassador Zvi Aviner Vapni is understood to have held a telephone conversation with Alkmaar Mayor Anja Schouten, telling her that everything must be done to allow Israeli supporters to attend the match in a safe way, “if necessary, in limited numbers.”
The mayor’s spokesperson told Nieuwsuur that the decision to ban away fans is fixed and that football will be played in Alkmaar on Thursday without an away crowd.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted a statement on X/Twitter: “Two years after Israelis were hunted through the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch answer is to ban the victims, not the attackers.”
Reward to those who incite violence, counter the spirit of sport
The ministry said 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.”
It also noted that the exclusion of Israelis comes amid a wave of antisemitic attacks in the Netherlands.
The ministry said that banning Israeli fans from attending the match, like boycotting Eurovision, is “yet another stain on the Netherlands,” adding that it is increasingly becoming “one of the world’s leading hotspots for antisemitism.”
Though the Israeli fans will not be attending, safety is still a concern as two anti-Israel demonstrations are planned before the match.
'Insufficient space' to prevent disorder
Schouten has moved the two registered protests to Rhijnvis Feithlaan, opposite the AZ stadium at hotel Alkmaar, but local police said there is insufficient space on the stadium site to separate protesters and football supporters and to prevent disorder.
Avi Nir-Feldklein, Israel’s ambassador to the European Union, said he had planned to drive to Alkmaar to support Hapoel Be’er Sheva before finding out all Israeli supporters were banned by the municipality due to “very high risk.”
“When Hezbollah and Hamas cheerleaders are allowed to march and celebrate the October 7 massacre, no wonder it’s “high risk,” he said. “Instead of stopping the extremists, they banned the fans. Stand against hate, not against football fans.”
This is the second ban on Hapoel Be’er Sheva in less than a month.
In September, the mayor of the Belgian city of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, blocked the city from hosting the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League match between Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise and Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva, which was scheduled for October 22, 2026.
The team includes three Arab Israeli players: Muhammad Abu Rumi, Mohammed Kna’an, and Zahi Ahmed.