With just 16,611 attendees, 800 Israeli fans defy travel warning, seated in a corner of the stadium
\n Paris
\nThe UEFA Nations League football match between France and Israel at the Stade de France saw a historic low attendance, with only 16,611 spectators in the stands.
\nThe match was overshadowed by brief clashes in the crowd as Israel\u2019s national anthem was met with loud booing. In response, security was tightened, with around 4,000 police officers and 1,600 security personnel deployed around the stadium, including riot police stationed on-site.
\nDespite the heavy security presence and the pre-match tensions, the game, which was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Michel Barnier, concluded without major incidents of violence.
\nThe low turnout came just days after pro-Palestinian protests in Amsterdam led to clashes, and the event saw only a small number of Israeli fans in attendance.
\nAround 100 Israeli fans defied government advice against travel and were seated in a corner of the 80,000-capacity stadium. During the game, they held yellow balloons and chanted, \u201cFree the Hostages,\u201d in a reference to Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza.
\nApproximately two kilometres from the stadium, a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Front Populaire M\u00e9tro station in St-Denis drew several hundred demonstrators. The group marched towards the stadium but was dispersed by riot police.
\n\u00c9ric Coquerel, an MP from the left-wing France Unbowed party, criticised the government\u2019s approach to the event. \u201cWe are living in a schizophrenic moment,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the one hand, international institutions recognise the existence of a genocide in Gaza. On the other, we have a French government that reluctantly agrees to call for a ceasefire.\u201d
\nCoquerel argued that Macron\u2019s attendance at the match sent a signal to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, allowing further military action in Gaza. \u201cFrance is looking the other way,\u201d he said, questioning if Macron would attend a match between France and Russia under similar circumstances.
\nIn response to the Amsterdam incidents, Macron reaffirmed France\u2019s stance against antisemitism. However, tensions between the country\u2019s Muslim and Jewish communities persist, with both groups expressing solidarity with Palestinians and Israelis, respectively.
\nThursday\u2019s game came amid strained relations between Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following Macron\u2019s recent remarks condemning alleged \u201cbarbarism\u201d in Gaza and Lebanon. Macron\u2019s remarks, which were perceived as conflicting with prior statements supporting Israel, have led to frustration within France\u2019s Jewish communities.
\nFrance advanced to the Nations League quarter-finals following a goalless draw with Israel.
\nIn central Amsterdam, police detained pro-Palestinian protesters on Wednesday, defying a ban imposed after violent clashes linked to a football match between Ajax and Israel\u2019s Maccabi Tel Aviv.
\nDozens of demonstrators, some waving Palestinian flags, chanted slogans such as \u201cAmsterdam says no to genocide\u201d and \u201cFree Palestine.\u201d Riot police surrounded the group, who were detained and taken away by bus.
\nEmergency measures, including expanded stop-and-search powers, have allowed police to detain or remove hundreds of demonstrators since the clashes last week.
\nMany social media questioned Israel participation in UEFA, despite not being in Europe.
\nWhy is Israel a member of UEFA?
\nIsrael was admitted as an associated member of UEFA in 1992 and was admitted as a full member in 1994, despite not being in Europe.
\nIt came after Israel was banned from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) group of FIFA in 1974.
\nCalls for Israel to be banned completely from FIFA have intensified after its implementation of apartheid policies. Many have called for Israel to be banned along the same lines as apartheid-era South Africa.
\nThose calls have been unsuccessful so far.
\nA UN Special Rapporteur\u2019s report in 2022, after analysing Israel\u2019s 55-year occupation of Palestinian territory, recoginsed the Zionist state\u2019s apartheid policies.
\nMoer recently since Israel launched its military invasion on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the situation in Gaza has deteriorated rapidly, with over 43,500 Palestinians reported killed and tens of thousands more wounded.
\nIsrael\u2019s actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, with accusations of war crimes and genocide.
\nThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently reviewing a case against Israel for its actions in Gaza, as critics argue that the disproportionate force used in its attacks violates international law, particularly the Geneva Conventions.
\nReports from the UN have highlighted that over 80% of civilian casualties in Gaza resulted from Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings or similar structures..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With just 16,611 attendees, 800 Israeli fans defy travel warning, seated in a corner of the stadium Paris The UEFA Nations League football match between France and Israel at the Stade de France saw a historic low attendance, with only 16,611 spectators in the stands. The match was overshadowed by brief clashes in the crowd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":443895,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-443871","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n