After the instances of widespread violence by supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv who made a horror spree in Amsterdam recently, the authorities in France are leaving nothing to escalate situation ahead of the much-trumpeted UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel on Thursday. The Stade de France located in the northern suburbs of the capital, Paris, is going to turn into a fortress as thousands of security personnel and special police units stand ready to maintain order.
Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez said a total security operation involving more than 4,000 officers would be deployed in every corner of the city, with 2,500 of them to be focused around the actual site of the Stade de France. There are also extra officers stationed across public transport hubs and other strategic locations across the city. To further enhance security, the game will also deploy about 1,600 private security guards on the stadium grounds with an elite anti-terrorism squad in charge of securing the Israeli team.
“It is a high-risk match because of an extremely tense geopolitical context,” Nuñez said, emphasizing the vigilance needed to prevent any form of breach in public order.
Amsterdam Violence Raises Concerns Across Europe
Security is being tightened ahead of the next Thursday’s game between Ajax and Bnei Yehuda at the Amsterdam Arena. The heightened security comes after violence erupted following last Thursday’s match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam. Reports indicated that the Maccabi supporters clashed with local groups, tearing down a Palestinian flag, and chanted slogans against the Arabs. By then, the rioting groups – some on scooters and others on foot – began targeting Israeli fans.
These events have attracted the attention of the entire European region with political leaders sounding alarm over a perceived “return of antisemitism.” The tension is particularly delicate in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands with significant Muslim and Jewish populations sharing geographies often associated with close living, with many Jewish communities, markedly so, identifying closely with Israel.
President Macron Will Attend The Match In Solidarity
In solidarity after the incidents in Amsterdam, French President Emmanuel Macron will be in attendance at Thursday’s game, flanked by such high-profile political figures as Prime Minister Michel Barnier and former Presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. Macron’s decision has been contentious, with the far-left party France Unbowed (LFI) and often pro-Palestinian party calling for either the match to be cancelled or for Macron to boycott the event. “We do not want our head of state honoring a country that commits genocide,” said deputy for the party’s leftist wing, LFI, David Guiraud. Israel has dismissed similar claims as baseless.
Even so, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that cancelling or transferring the game is “out of the question,” adding that “France does not give in to those who sow hatred.”
Tight Security Measures For Fans
Security measures are tight, and those attending the game are likely to face strict identity checks. Bars and restaurants in the area have been told to shut their doors well into the afternoon to discourage any flashpoint. Thus, to date, events like the Rugby World Cup and Paris Olympics held at the Stade de France, where disturbances broke out during the UEFA Champions League final two years ago, have come without incident to prove the seriousness of the officials on the issue of safety.
Tensions flared on the eve of the match as Parisians hosted a pro-Israel event featuring far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The latter’s appearance was limited to a video link due to pressure from groups that were both pro-Palestinian and anti-racist, mobilizing thousands to protest against the event; it all ended in clashes between demonstrators and police and even damaged a McDonald’s outlet on Boulevard Montmartre when police used tear gas.
Macron-Netanyahu Relations Under Strain
French-Israeli relations have come under strain. Macron recently criticized the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he was “spreading barbarism” in Gaza and Lebanon. Things went worse when Macron claimed that Netanyahu had to respond to the UN ceasefire call because Israel itself was founded upon a UN mandate. It did not go well in Israel where it was understood as undermining the sacrifices during the fight for independence.
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