Continuing their state-protected tour of violence, dozens of Israeli fans beat a french fan in the stands of the France v Israel match the other night. Some media has framed it as ‘booing and clashes’ but more and more videos from the game have been appearing since then.
Police and security did little to nothing to stop the violence as fans further down the stands looked on helplessly, but arrested French fans trying to get others out of the mob of Israeli hooligans. After the match an Israeli fan in an IDF tee shirt was interviewed by the French media grinning and saying the level of security was “wonderful, magnificent, maybe too much even” before pointing out that they had a “small incident in Block K” which they dealt with “directly”. There’s also video of French fans showing police and security, with video evidence on their phones, that the Israel fans were the aggressors. Of course they were ignored.
Macron and other French ministers were at the match to “show their support for fighting anti-semitism” after Amsterdam. They didn’t mention or condemn the Israeli violence against French fans afterward from what I can see.
When the leaders of European states repeatedly and reflexively defend Israeli violence against and above their own citizens as victims - in countries that are already sliding ever-rightward - they’re pouring fuel on the kindling of actual antisemitism. It’s going to end very badly indeed.
Never. Do your worst.