AhlulBayt News Agency: A new report by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) accuses Israeli football culture of being systematically weaponized to glorify the destruction in Gaza, urging a global ban on Israel from international sports.
The 24-page document, titled How Israeli Football Culture Became a Weapon of Genocide, claims that sport and politics in Israel have merged to serve the state’s agenda of settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing.
“Football is meant to unite,” the report states. “But in Israel, it has become a vehicle for racism, militarism, and propaganda.”
HRF alleges that Israeli soldiers and football ultras use team symbols to degrade Palestinians, celebrate destruction, and normalize acts of genocide—both domestically and internationally.
Beitar Jerusalem is highlighted as the most extreme example of racism in Israeli football, having never signed an Arab player despite Arabs comprising roughly 20% of Israel’s population.
Its fan group, La Familia, is described as notorious for fascist slogans and violent behavior.
The report documents chants of “Death to Arabs,” assaults on Palestinian workers, and a 2013 arson attack on the club’s offices after two Muslim players were signed.
Yet HRF insists the issue is not confined to Beitar.
Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel’s most decorated club, has a large mainstream fanbase. Its ultras have repeatedly chanted anti-Arab slogans and displayed tifos glorifying soldiers.
Even Hapoel Tel Aviv, traditionally seen as progressive, has shown signs of militarization, with fans displaying banners supporting soldiers fighting in Gaza.
Violence Abroad
HRF also tracks the spread of this football culture to European cities. It cites the November 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, where Israeli fans reportedly harassed Arab residents, tore down Palestinian flags, and chanted “No children left in Gaza.”
A complaint to Dutch police was initially dismissed due to “lost evidence,” but video footage later emerged.
Similar incidents have occurred in other European cities, with Beitar Jerusalem fans bringing racist chants to Paris and Brussels, and Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters clashing with pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
HRF says it has compiled dozens of images and videos showing soldiers posing with football flags and scarves amid the ruins of homes, schools, and mosques.
Beitar Jerusalem banners are seen in destroyed living rooms, a Hapoel Tel Aviv flag is waved from a balcony overlooking Khan Yunis, and a Maccabi Netanya soldier captions his photo: “Something about away days in Gaza. Netanya forever.”
The report concludes that what may seem like casual fan behavior is actually calculated propaganda—intended to claim conquered spaces, mock displaced families, and turn atrocities into fan spectacle.
A Systemic Pattern
“This is not the work of isolated soldiers or hooligans,” HRF emphasizes. “It is systemic.” From Beitar’s fascist La Familia to Maccabi’s mainstream ultras, Hapoel’s so-called leftist fans, and even Netanya and Haifa—football identity is used to glorify violence.
The report calls for Israel’s suspension from international sport, stating: “Israel cannot remain part of global sport while football is weaponized in this way.”
HRF supports the Game Over Israel campaign, which demands Israel’s suspension from FIFA, UEFA, FIBA, and all international federations until the genocide ends and justice is served.
“Just as apartheid South Africa was banned,” the report concludes, “Israel must face isolation. Football and genocide cannot coexist.”
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