Netherlands 'leading hotbed of antisemitism': Israel condemns Hapoel Be'er Sheva ban

Mayor Anja Schouten decided that Hapoel Be’er Sheva supporters would not be allowed to attend the club’s Europa League match against AZ in Alkmaar. The ban applies to the away crowd, not to the match itself. Football is still scheduled to take place in Alkmaar on Thursday.

The decision followed security concerns. Two anti-Israel demonstrations are planned before the match. Schouten moved them to Rhijnvis Feithlaan, opposite the AZ stadium at hotel Alkmaar. Local police said the stadium area offered insufficient space to separate protesters from football supporters and prevent disorder.

Israeli officials urged the mayor to find a safe way for supporters to attend, possibly in limited numbers. The mayor’s spokesperson said the exclusion was fixed. Hapoel’s website also said a stadium had not yet been determined. The decision has drawn strong criticism from Israel’s foreign ministry, which said authorities should stop threats rather than ban fans.

A Europa League match is a competitive European football fixture involving clubs from different countries. Here, Dutch club AZ is scheduled to play Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Alkmaar. The match remains part of the competition even though the visiting team’s supporters have been excluded.

An away-fan ban changes who may attend rather than cancelling the game. Hapoel Be’er Sheva can still participate, while its travelling supporters are barred from the stadium. The mayor’s spokesperson said football would be played in Alkmaar without an away crowd. Hapoel’s website stated that a stadium had not yet been determined.

The ban was presented as a security measure. Two anti-Israel demonstrations are planned near the match, and police said there was insufficient space to separate protesters from supporters. Israeli officials argued that fans should be allowed to attend safely, if necessary in limited numbers. The municipality kept the exclusion in place.

The article mentions two demonstrations planned before the AZ–Hapoel Be’er Sheva match. Both are anti-Israel protests. The mayor moved them to Rhijnvis Feithlaan, opposite the AZ stadium at hotel Alkmaar, but police still warned that the stadium area could not safely separate groups.

It also describes two recent bans involving Hapoel Be’er Sheva in less than a month. Alkmaar excluded the club’s away fans. In September, Leuven mayor Mohamed Ridouani blocked Leuven from hosting a later Europa League match involving Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Union Saint-Gilloise, scheduled for October 22, 2026.

Finally, the article names three Arab-Israeli players in Hapoel’s team: Muhammad Abu Rumi, Mohammed Kna’an, and Zahi Ahmed. These numbers show that the story involves planned protests, repeated restrictions affecting the club, and the identities of players on its roster. The article does not provide attendance estimates.

The earlier event was an attack on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam. The article says the supporters were attending an Ajax match when they were attacked and later describes them as having been hunted through the city’s streets. The incident happened two years before the Alkmaar match.

That history shapes the current security debate because Israeli officials see the earlier supporters as victims of violence. Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the new exclusion, saying the Dutch response was to ban victims rather than attackers. The ministry argued that excluding Hapoel supporters rewards people who threaten or incite violence.

The Amsterdam incident does not remove the immediate concerns in Alkmaar. Two anti-Israel demonstrations are still planned, and police say there is not enough space to separate protesters and football supporters. The result is a clash between two priorities: protecting public order through exclusion and allowing Israeli fans to attend safely.

The away-fan ban removes Hapoel Be’er Sheva supporters from the stadium, but it does not eliminate the wider security concern. Two anti-Israel demonstrations are planned before the match. The protests mean public gatherings and possible tension remain part of the event’s security picture.

Mayor Schouten moved both registered protests to Rhijnvis Feithlaan, opposite the AZ stadium at hotel Alkmaar. Local police said there was insufficient space on the stadium site to separate protesters and football supporters. Their stated concern was preventing disorder, even though the visiting supporters will not attend.

The situation therefore shifts rather than disappears. The match is expected to go ahead in Alkmaar without an away crowd, while authorities continue managing demonstrations nearby. Israeli officials argue that the extremists should be stopped instead of the fans. The municipality has kept the ban fixed, showing that its priority is controlling potential disorder around the venue.

The Alkmaar mayor and municipality made the attendance decision described in the article. Mayor Anja Schouten moved the registered protests, while her spokesperson said the away-fan ban was fixed. The municipality therefore controlled the local rule excluding Hapoel Be’er Sheva supporters from the Alkmaar match.

Police had a different role. They assessed the site and said there was insufficient space to separate protesters from football supporters and prevent disorder. Israeli Ambassador Zvi Aviner Vapni contacted Schouten and asked for a safe solution, possibly allowing supporters in limited numbers. Avi Nir-Feldklein also criticized the ban.

AZ and Hapoel Be’er Sheva are the clubs involved in the match, while Union Saint-Gilloise and Hapoel were involved in the separate Leuven case. The article connects these fixtures to the UEFA Europa League, but it does not say UEFA made the Alkmaar attendance decision. It identifies the municipality as the authority that fixed the local ban.

Football normally includes both home and away supporters because each club’s followers can watch their team and contribute to the match atmosphere. Away attendance also reflects the contest between the two clubs, rather than making the fixture a home-only event. The article presents the exclusion as a major departure from that sporting tradition.

Public authorities may restrict attendance when they believe crowd movements could create disorder. In Alkmaar, two anti-Israel demonstrations are planned near the stadium. Police said there was insufficient space to separate protesters and football supporters. The municipality therefore decided that the match would be played without Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s away crowd.

That choice protects one stated public-order concern but creates another dispute. Israeli officials say banning the fans rewards threats and undermines sport. The municipality has kept the decision fixed, so the immediate result is a match with no visiting supporters. The article leaves the broader balance between safety, access, and sporting tradition unresolved.