Israeli Reporters Denounce Dutch Club's Ban on Hapoel Be'er Sheva Fans
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Israeli Channel 12 reporters Almog Boker and Danny Kushmaro condemned AZ Alkmaar's decision to ban Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans from their Europa League match, calling it political discrimination. They warned the ban, citing security risks, could set a precedent for other Israeli teams and citizens traveling abroad. The reporters urged Israeli ministers Gideon Saar and Miki Zohar to intervene before the match in three days, fearing wider boycotts.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli reporters Almog Boker and Danny Kushmaro criticized AZ Alkmaar's ban on Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans.
- The reporters called the ban a political decision fueled by anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment.
- They warned the ban could create a precedent affecting other Israeli teams and citizens.
- Boker and Kushmaro urged Ministers Gideon Saar and Miki Zohar to intervene urgently.
- The journalists fear wider boycotts against Israeli clubs and the national team if the ban isn't reversed.
Channel 12 News reporters Almog Boker and Danny Kushmaro, both fans of Hapoel Be'er Sheva, have strongly criticized the decision to prevent the club's supporters from attending their upcoming Europa League match against Dutch team AZ Alkmaar. In a joint Instagram post, the journalists expressed outrage over the ban, warning of potential repercussions for other Israeli teams and Israelis traveling to Europe.
Boker illustrated the severity of the situation by posing a hypothetical scenario: "Imagine arriving at a stadium in Europe for your team's game and seeing a sign at the entrance: 'No entry for Israelis.' That's exactly what will happen in the Netherlands on Thursday." He noted that Hapoel Be'er Sheva is already playing its home games in Bucharest due to the ongoing war, and this ban represents a further hardship for its fans.
Boker dismissed the security concerns cited by AZ Alkmaar as a pretext, labeling the decision as political and driven by anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment. He highlighted that during a council meeting in the Netherlands, the team was referred to as "Hapoel Be'er Sheva from occupied Palestine." The reporters cautioned that this move could set a dangerous precedent, impacting other Israeli clubs, exports, and general travel for Israelis abroad.
The journalists directly appealed to Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar, and Minister of Culture and Sport, Miki Zohar, urging them to intervene. They warned that if the decision is not reversed within the three days remaining before the match, more clubs might follow suit, potentially boycotting all Israeli teams, including the national squad. "Saar, Zohar, wake up, this is your job, this is what we pay you a salary for," they stated.
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