Israel's national soccer team strives to maintain a positive outlook despite narrow victories against weaker opponents. However, the pervasive issue of racism in the popular Israeli sport casts a shadow over their efforts, affecting everyone involved. Even if the team achieves historic success and qualifies for the Euros, racist fans are likely to undermine their accomplishments.
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The most severe incident of racism in the team's history occurred during the recent match against Andorra, when midfielder Mohammad Abu Fani was subjected to derogatory remarks, including being called a "terrorist." Sadly, this is not an isolated event – there are individuals who oppose Israeli-Arab players representing the national team and will not remain silent. The worst may still be yet to come.
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National team midfielder Mohammad Abu Fani representing his country
(Photo: Oz Mualem)
Even though the Arab players wear the blue and white jersey with the Star of David, symbolizing their choice to represent their country, some fans choose to ignore this and harbor deep-rooted hatred toward them. It seems that their animosity remains unaffected by the efforts made by Arab players to bridge the divide. These fans, driven by nationalism masquerading as patriotism, are willing to go to great lengths, attending late-hour games and purchasing tickets, solely to unleash their profanities and humiliations upon the Arab players.
These racist incidents are not confined to a specific stadium like Teddy in Jerusalem, but are pervasive across all stadiums. The toxic ideology held by these fans knows no bounds and will permeate everywhere, including Bloomfield, Sami Ofer, and Toto-Turner stadiums. It is disheartening to witness the lack of preventive measures taken in the Premier League to address these incidents.
Instead, teams have attempted to downplay the severity, attributing them to a few individuals and assuming they would self-correct. The ineffective response clearly demonstrates the empty promises of addressing this issue, and we have witnessed the consequences of this negligent approach.
Prior to the incident involving Abu-Fani, there were instances of jeers directed at Offenheim striker Mu'nas Dabbur. The national team attempted to attribute the fans' anger to a social media post he made during Operation Guardian of the Walls. However, the racial slurs used alongside the insults were conveniently overlooked.
Monday night's events serve as evidence that being subjected to curses and humiliation while representing the country does not require an Arab player to make a controversial post. The presence of racism persists regardless.
Despite Partizan Belgrade midfielder Bibras Natcho's dedication to the national team, including delivering a heartfelt speech at a Holocaust memorial ceremony the team held in Poland and consistently attending games, even friendly matches when he was injured, his commitment was overshadowed by the insistence that "the team captain must sing the national anthem."
The fact that his leadership qualities were praised by fellow players seems inconsequential. Natcho, being Circassian, is viewed by some as merely grateful for the opportunity to play, disregarding his contributions and commitment.
The ongoing mistreatment of Abu Fani reflects a continuation of the disrespect shown toward Natcho, with the situation escalating due to a lack of intervention. The fans harbor resentment fueled by government officials who express racist sentiments, knowing they will face no consequences.
Consequently, it is unsurprising that they feel empowered to behave in such a manner. Their ultimate goal is to exclude Arab players from the Israeli national team, a scenario that appears increasingly imminent. Sadly, there may even be members of the Knesset who entertain such thoughts. Racism is gaining ground, and whether it can be effectively curtailed is at least somewhat doubtful.