The violence surrounding the football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv is also leading to a tense situation in Paris. The national teams of France and Israel will play there for the Nations League tonight at 9 p.m. and the authorities fear new anti-Semitic violence.
The security measures are also called ‘unusual’ by French standards. There are four thousand police officers in and around the stadium.
“The events in Amsterdam caused a shock among the public in France, but especially among political decision-makers,” said Mathieu Zagrodzki, a French researcher specializing in domestic security. “The match was already classified as risky, but after the events in Amsterdam there is more fear of aggression against Israeli supporters.”
Concerned local residents are taking measures around the stadium. The owner of a bakery keeps her shop closed because: “We saw what happened in Amsterdam.”
Mathieu Zagrodzki understands that the French authorities are worried: “Just like in Amsterdam, there is a risk that people will incite each other. That French young people say to each other: ‘They did it in the Netherlands, now we are making sure that Israelis do not feel safe.’ “
The researcher thinks about copycat behavior: “We have seen messages from people who say they participated in the riots in Amsterdam and are now calling: come on, France, now it’s your turn.”
Check out what happened last week in Amsterdam here:
Facts: this is what we now know about the violence surrounding Ajax-Maccabi
“There is no way we are taking the risk that the dramatic events of Amsterdam will repeat themselves,” warns Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior. “France will not give in, especially in the face of hate speech.” President Macron will attend the match together with Prime Minister Barnier and the Minister of the Interior. They express their solidarity “after the unacceptable anti-Semitic actions” and send a signal: the French state will not be intimidated.
Number of anti-Semitic acts increased
Extreme security and harsh words, the question is whether that approach will work. France has one of the largest Jewish and one of the largest Muslim communities in Europe. Tensions between those groups have increased since October 7 last year. According to French intelligence, the number of anti-Semitic acts has increased significantly.
Professor of political science and religious scholar Olivier Roy wonders whether the tough French position is not counterproductive: “That increases the problem instead of solving it. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is insoluble. It is about keeping this conflict within control and not make it bigger than it is. Condemn anti-Semitism? Yes. But criminalize support for the Palestinian cause?
At first glance, the chance of escalation around the match tonight does not seem that great, thinks security researcher Mathieu Zagrodzki. “The crowd around the French team is very calm and family-like, without a history of violence.” He also thinks that the situation is different: “In Amsterdam there was an organized group of supporters who were visible and sang provocative songs. Only a few dozen Israeli supporters are expected for the France-Israel match.”
Overheated reaction
Olivier Roy warns the authorities against an overheated response: “We should not add fuel to the fire and make the rioters more important than they are. Because when they see that the entire state is mobilizing against them, they think they can destroy the institutions of the republic terrorize or of the monarchy, of Europe. Then it takes on too much importance.”
Ultimately, surprisingly little audience is expected tonight. Mathieu Zagrodzki. “Remember that the stadium will be virtually empty with barely 20,000 spectators in a stadium that can hold 80,000. With 4,000 police officers, that means one police officer for every five supporters. That’s a lot.”
Olivier Roy: “France is a much more police-oriented state. The police are mobilized much faster and much more intensively than in the Netherlands and the French have an effective counter-riot apparatus.” He does not rule out riots completely. “Of course you have to take violence in the stadiums into account, but unfortunately this is part of the sporting world today. Whether it is anti-Semitic violence, anti-black violence or anti-immigration violence, it happens everywhere.”
