File Photo: In this image taken from video, police stand guard as Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters light flares at the Dam square, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. AP
Amsterdam’s City Council approved a motion declaring Maccabi Tel Aviv “unwelcome” in the Dutch capital.
The decision comes in regard to last November’s Europa League clash between Ajax and Maccabi, during which hundreds of Israeli hooligans rioted in the city's streets, tearing down a Palestinian flag, attacking taxis, and chanting racist and genocidal slogans against Arabs.
Sheher Khan, leader of the Denk party, a political party founded on a minority rights platform which tabled the motion, said the measure targets “clubs established in illegal settlements, directly or indirectly contributing to the maintenance of unlawful occupations, or systematically failing to act against extremist and racist expressions among their hardcore supporters.”
The council will formally urge the Dutch Football Association and the Dutch Olympic Committee to exclude clubs implicated in racism or occupation from sports events in the Netherlands.
Khan highlighted the perceived double standard compared to bans on Russian teams: “Our city faces the consequences. This motion corrects that inconsistency.”
Shortly after the incident, a factual report from the municipality of Amsterdam revealed that Israeli fans initiated key violence surrounding the Ajax vs Maccabi Tel Aviv football match, contradicting the earlier narrative put forth by many Western officials and media outlets, who have consistently echoed Israel's portrayal of the confrontations as an "anti-Semitic pogrom" against Jews.
In a related development, UEFA is considering a historic vote to suspend Israel’s football federation from international competitions, a step accelerated by a United Nations inquiry accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
A majority of UEFA’s executive committee is expected to support suspension, potentially barring Israeli national and club teams from World Cup qualifiers and other international tournaments.
The discussion has drawn intense international attention, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino maintains close ties to US President Donald Trump, whose administration has pledged to block any ban on Israel ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
European officials, including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and members of Norway and Italy’s football federations, have expressed concern about the ethical implications of allowing Israeli teams to participate.
The debate has sparked global protests and calls for accountability have grown louder in stadiums and online, with activists urging soccer authorities to ban Israel in the same manner that Russia was sidelined after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022,
Earlier this week, seven independent experts working with the UN Human Rights Council urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international competitions.
Many football fans are demanding the sport’s governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, suspend Israeli national teams and clubs from participating in international games in response to its attacks on Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon.
During the Champions League final in May, Paris Saint-Germain supporters displayed a banner reading “Stop Genocide in Gaza,” challenging UEFA’s long-standing rules against political messaging.
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