The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) strongly condemns the weaponisation of antisemitism and the distortion of the narrative surrounding the openly anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racist behaviour of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam.
Rather than addressing the clear acts of anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism, political leaders – including Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong – and mainstream media have misrepresented the situation by labelling the response to these actions as “antisemitic.”
These attempts to deflect from the hateful behaviour of Israeli fans, who were filmed chanting genocidal slogans against Arabs, tearing down Palestinian flags and inciting physical altercations with Palestinian supporters, is a gross distortion of the truth.
This behaviour is part of a larger pattern of anti-Palestinian racism that has been allowed to flourish unchecked across the globe, including on this continent. The focus on labelling counter-protests as “antisemitic” erases the reality of this hate-driven violence, while targets of this violence and hate—Palestinians and Arabs—are further smeared, demonised and marginalised.
In light of this openly racist behaviour, as well as the two International Court of Justice rulings against Israel for plausible genocide, illegal occupation, racial segregation and apartheid, which call on all states and organisations to withdraw their support for this rogue state, FIFA must expel Israel from international football competitions.
Israel’s participation in global sports is incompatible with the principles of equality and justice. FIFA must act to uphold its commitment to combating racism and hold Israel accountable for the actions of its fans.