Controversy in Israel for racist chants against Israeli Arab player

A Israel Football Associationalong with several politicians and athletes, expressed this Tuesday (20) repudiation of the racist chants used yesterday by his own public against the Arab Israeli player Mohammad Abu Fani, during the 2-1 victory over Andorra, in Jerusalem, for the qualifiers of Euro 2024.

“Abu, you are one of us, just like all of us, our brother”, wrote the Football Association of Israel through its social networks, where it also shared an image with the player’s shirt and the message “No to Racism” written in English.

Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar also referred to racist slogans against the player, which included chants such as “terrorist” and constant whistling, which he described as “unnecessary and stupid behavior that does not contribute to anything, just to hurt.”

Former defense minister and current member of the opposition, Benny Gantz, said via his Twitter account that “the racist chants against Abu Fani bring shame to Israeli sport and the entire State of Israel”.

“Mohammad Abu Fani is no less an Israeli than any other player in the Israeli national team,” Gantz added after the game that left Israel third in the Euro qualifying group behind Switzerland and Romania.

Israel national team players support Abu Fani

Several players from the national team, including its main name, Manor Solomon, also expressed themselves through social networks in support of the player, who acts as a midfielder and who recently agreed with the transfer from Hungary to Ferencvarosi, from Hungary, after become three-time champion of the Israeli Championship with Maccabi Haifa.

According to the local press, the players asked the Association to transfer the next match of the selection to the Bloomfield stadium, in Tel Aviv, instead of playing it in the Teddy stadium, in Jerusalem, whose team, Beitar Jerusalem, is known for their supporters and far-right racism.

Yesterday’s episode with Abu Fani is nothing new in Israeli football, where similar cases have been recorded in recent years.

The most recent was that of Munas Dabbur, another player belonging to Israel’s Arab minority – made up of Palestinians and descendants of those who have remained on the state’s borders since its foundation in 1948 -, who left the selection last year after being constantly booed by fans. locals due to his statements about the conflict in Gaza in 2021.

In February of this year, Eli Dasa, an Israeli player of Ethiopian origin and captain of the national team, declared after his arrival at Dynamo Moscow that the racism he lives in Russia “is nothing compared to what he faced in Israel”, where he said he suffered of racism in almost every game.