Paris mounts huge security operation for France-Israel match

Thousands of police will be deployed for a “high-risk” football match between France and Israel on Thursday in Paris, amid security concerns following an attack on Israeli fans in Amsterdam.

At least ten people were injured by rioters last week after a Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Dutch side Ajax. The mob violence has been denounced as anti-Semitic by officials in Amsterdam, Israel, and across Europe. However, some media outlets – including in Iran – have placed the blame on Israeli football hooligans, accusing them of chanting anti-Arab slurs and defacing Palestinian flags while marching through the city on Wednesday night.

The UEFA National League match between France and Israel will take place at the Stade de France on Thursday.

The Elysee Palace has said French President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to attend the event, intends to “send a message of fraternity and solidarity” after the “intolerable” acts of anti-Semitism in Amsterdam.

Around 2,500 officers will be stationed in and around the venue, with another 1,500 guarding public transport. In addition, 1,600 security personnel will be deployed inside the stadium, with members of France’s elite police unit (Raid) providing security for the Israeli team. 

“There’s a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us,” the Paris chief of police, Laurent Nunez, told BFM TV on Sunday, referring to international tensions stemming from the Israel-Gaza war. 

“We will not tolerate any overspill or disturbances to public order,” he stated, adding that there will be an counter-terrorist security perimeter around the stadium.

Last week a group of pro-Palestinian activists protested against the upcoming match in front of The French Football Federation (FFF) in Paris, holding banners with the messages: “No to France-Israel Match at Stade de France,” and “Stop Genocide, Silence Kills”. Jewish youth movement Betar said a counter-rally against antisemitism was being organized. 

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities, who previously condemned clashes in the Dutch capital as “pogroms,” have urged supporters to avoid the match. Only a quarter of the available tickets have been sold so far, according to FFF.

Anti-Semitic incidents have risen sharply since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza last October, when the militant group attacked Israel, killing some 1,100 people. Israel’s bombing and ground operations against Hamas in Gaza, which have resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths, have sparked pro-Palestinian and anti-war demonstrations around the globe.