Israeli sports clubs are facing mounting backlash in Europe amid global outrage over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, with protests in Greece and a decisive political move in the Netherlands this week signaling growing isolation for Tel Aviv’s teams.
In Thessaloniki, police launched a large-scale security operation Wednesday ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League game against Greek side PAOK. Around 120 Israeli fans were held behind police cordons before entering the 28,000-seat Toumba Stadium, while bomb squad dogs swept the venue and special forces escorted the team bus.
Two small pro-Palestinian protests were staged earlier in the city, calling for Israeli clubs to be expelled from European competitions. Demonstrators climbed scaffolding on a building complex that also houses the U.S. consulate, unfurling a banner reading “Genocide” in English. Several protesters were detained by police.
Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, the city council approved a motion to declare foreign clubs unwelcome if they contribute to “occupation or racism,” a measure aimed primarily at Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv. The motion, introduced by the Denk party leader Sheher Khan, targets clubs established in illegal settlements, supporting unlawful occupations, or tolerating extremist chants from supporters.
“Nationally, clubs from countries like Russia are already barred from playing in the Netherlands. Yet for Israeli clubs, no such rule exists,” Khan said, accusing the Dutch government of applying double standards. He stressed that Maccabi Tel Aviv is “pro-Netanyahu” and that its hooligans “endorse genocide” amid the assault on Gaza.
The motion passed with broad support, with only the Christian Democrats, Liberal Party, JA21 and the far-right Forum for Democracy voting against it. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema had earlier said Maccabi supporters would not be invited back to the city following violent clashes last November after Ajax’s Europa League match against the Israeli team. That night saw assaults on Israeli supporters, calls for a “Jew hunt” in chat groups, and racist chants from Maccabi fans, including “f*** the Arabs” and “let the IDF win.”
UEFA is currently reviewing Maccabi Tel Aviv for possible suspension, while protests in Rotterdam last weekend also targeted Israel’s inclusion in the European Baseball Championship. Supporters of the ban point to the swift exclusion of Russian teams after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as proof of a double standard.
Since October 2023, Israel’s attacks in Gaza have killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 100,000, according to local health authorities. Aid groups warn the true toll may be far higher, with famine now confirmed in parts of the besieged enclave.
Critics say Israel’s war crimes and genocide in Gaza, paired with racist behavior from Israeli clubs’ supporters, make their continued participation in European sports unacceptable.
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