November 11 – The France-Israel Nations League fixture on Thursday will go ahead as planned, confirmed French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, despite last week’s violence in Amsterdam at the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Paris will deploy 4,000 police officers to ensure security.
Around 2,500 police officers will be deployed in and around the Stade de France, north of Paris, with 1,500 police officers stationed in the city and on public transportation. French authorities said they are liaising with their counterparts in Israel.
“Some are calling for the France-Israel match to be relocated. I do not accept this,” Retailleau wrote in a post on X. “France is not backing down because that would amount to giving up in the face of threats of violence and antisemitism.”
The Elysée has confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the match in a show of fraternity and solidarity.
Israel, meanwhile, is warning its fans to not attend the match.
“In the last few days, various calls have been identified among pro-Palestinians/supporters of terror groups to harm Israelis and Jews, under the cover of protests and demonstrations, and while taking advantage of mass attendance [of sports and cultural events] to maximize harm and media exposure,” said a statement from the National Security Council.
Earlier this summer, the Olympic Games in Paris hosted the U-23 Israeli team with the side playing two matches at the Parc des Princes before moving to Nantes for their final group game. The team, like the rest of the Israeli delegation, were given heightened protection.
Last week violence erupted in the Dutch capital around Ajax’s match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Mayor Femke Halsema called the attackers “antisemitic hit-and-run squads” and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.”
However, Maccabi supporters were filmed chanting anti-Arab songs. A part of the club’s fanbase have previously been involved in racist incidents at home.
The violence erupted despite a ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations near the Ajax stadium imposed by Halsema. She had feared that clashes would break out between protesters and supporters of the Israeli club. Explaining that Israel had not warned of potential violence, Dutch Minister of Justice David van Weel said the match had not been flagged as high risk.
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