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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel football fans' ‘murderers' banner causes outrage in Poland at Europa Conference game
Israeli football fans sparked outrage in Poland after displaying a banner reading "Murderers since 1939" during a Europa Conference League match against a Polish team on Thursday. The provocative message, prominently unfurled by supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa during their fixture against Rakow Czestochowa in Debrecen, Hungary, drew immediate condemnation from Polish officials. The game was played in Hungary for security reasons. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a former head of the country's Institute of National Remembrance, took to X to express his dismay. "The scandalous banner displayed by Maccabi Haifa fans insults the memory of Polish citizens - victims of World War Two, including 3 million Jews," he wrote, adding: "Stupidity that no words can justify." Marcin Kierwinski, Poland's Interior Minister, echoed the sentiment, stating: "Anti-Polonism and the scandalous distortion of Polish history by Israeli hooligans demand strong condemnation." The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw also condemned the banner, asserting: "There is no place for such words and actions, from any side, neither at the stadium nor anywhere else. Never! These shameful incidents do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli fans." The year 1939 marks the beginning of the Second World War, during which Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany. The country's 3.2 million Jewish population, the largest in Europe at the war's outset, was almost entirely annihilated, many in Nazi German death camps. A further 3 million non-Jewish Polish citizens also perished during the occupation. Historical disputes surrounding the Second World War and the Holocaust have frequently strained relations between Poland and Israel. While studies have indicated complicity by some Poles in the killing of Jews by Nazi Germany, many Poles vehemently reject such findings, viewing them as an attempt to dishonour a nation that suffered immensely. The banner may have been a response to one displayed by fans of the Polish club during last week's first leg, which read: "Israel is killing and the world is silent," referencing the ongoing conflict in Gaza. That conflict began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's subsequent offensive against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Europe's football governing body, UEFA, has initiated disciplinary proceedings against both clubs for "transmitting a message not fit for a sports event." Maccabi Haifa have also been charged with improper conduct. Rakow Czestochowa won the second leg 2-0, securing a 2-1 aggregate victory to qualify for the playoffs later this month.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why a banner from Israeli football supporters sparked anger
Israeli football fans sparked outrage in Poland by displaying a banner reading "Murderers since 1939" during a Europa Conference League match against a Polish team in Hungary. The provocative message, unfurled by supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, drew immediate condemnation from Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski. The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw also condemned the banner, stating there is no place for such words or actions, and that they do not reflect the spirit of most Israeli fans. The year 1939 marks the beginning of the Second World War and the Nazi occupation of Poland, during which millions of Polish citizens, including three million Jews, perished. UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against both Maccabi Haifa and Rakow Czestochowa for transmitting a message not fit for a sports event, with the banner possibly a response to a previous Polish banner referencing the Gaza conflict.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Israel football fans' ‘murderers' banner causes outrage in Poland at Europa Conference game
Israeli football fans sparked outrage in Poland after displaying a banner reading "Murderers since 1939" during a Europa Conference League match against a Polish team on Thursday. The provocative message, prominently unfurled by supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa during their fixture against Rakow Czestochowa in Debrecen, Hungary, drew immediate condemnation from Polish officials. The game was played in Hungary for security reasons. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a former head of the country's Institute of National Remembrance, took to X to express his dismay. "The scandalous banner displayed by Maccabi Haifa fans insults the memory of Polish citizens - victims of World War Two, including 3 million Jews," he wrote, adding: "Stupidity that no words can justify." Marcin Kierwinski, Poland's Interior Minister, echoed the sentiment, stating: "Anti-Polonism and the scandalous distortion of Polish history by Israeli hooligans demand strong condemnation." The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw also condemned the banner, asserting: "There is no place for such words and actions, from any side, neither at the stadium nor anywhere else. Never! These shameful incidents do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli fans." The year 1939 marks the beginning of the Second World War, during which Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany. The country's 3.2 million Jewish population, the largest in Europe at the war's outset, was almost entirely annihilated, many in Nazi German death camps. A further 3 million non-Jewish Polish citizens also perished during the occupation. Historical disputes surrounding the Second World War and the Holocaust have frequently strained relations between Poland and Israel. While studies have indicated complicity by some Poles in the killing of Jews by Nazi Germany, many Poles vehemently reject such findings, viewing them as an attempt to dishonour a nation that suffered immensely. The banner may have been a response to one displayed by fans of the Polish club during last week's first leg, which read: "Israel is killing and the world is silent," referencing the ongoing conflict in Gaza. That conflict began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's subsequent offensive against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Europe's football governing body, UEFA, has initiated disciplinary proceedings against both clubs for "transmitting a message not fit for a sports event." Maccabi Haifa have also been charged with improper conduct. Rakow Czestochowa won the second leg 2-0, securing a 2-1 aggregate victory to qualify for the playoffs later this month.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Israeli soccer club's ‘murderers' banner described as ‘scandalous' by Polish president
Polish President Karol Nawrocki says a 'scandalous' banner from fans of Israeli soccer club Maccabi Haifa insulted his nation's victims of the Second World War. Maccabi Haifa fans unveiled a banner reading 'Murderers since 1939' in their Conference League match against Polish club Rakow Czestochowa on Thursday. 'The scandalous banner displayed by Maccabi Haifa fans insults the memory of Polish citizens — victims of World War Two, including three million Jews,' Nawrocki, a historian who previously headed the state's Institute of National Remembrance, posted on X. 'Stupidity that no words can justify.' Skandaliczny transparent wywieszony przez kibiców Maccabi Hajfa obraża pamięć o obywatelach polskich-ofiarach II wojny światowej, wśród których było 3 mln Żydów. Głupota, której nie tłumaczą żadne słowa. — Karol Nawrocki (@NawrockiKn) August 14, 2025 Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union following an invasion in September 1939. Around six million Poles — roughly a fifth of the nation's pre-war population — died during World War Two, including approximately 3.2 million Polish Jews killed in The Holocaust. The nation's Jewish population was the largest in Europe at the start of the war and almost all were killed during the atrocities, many of them in Nazi death camps. Thursday's match, designated as the 'home' game for Maccabi Haifa, was played in Debrecen, Hungary, for security reasons due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. No matches in UEFA competitions can be held in Israel due to the situation. Skandaliczny transparent izraelskich kibiców podczas meczu Maccabi Haifa z Rakowem Częstochowa: — OficjalneZero (@OficjalneZero) August 14, 2025 Poland's interior minister, Marcin Kierwinski, said the 'anti-Polonism' banner was a 'scandalous distortion of Polish history by Israeli hooligans which demands strong condemnation'. Israel's Embassy in Poland said it was 'appalled' by the banner and called on UEFA, European football's governing body, to 'respond appropriately'. The Embassy added: 'We will raise this issue in our discussions with the Israeli Foreign Ministry to prevent such situations from arising again. Polish-Israeli relations cannot and will not be destroyed by extremists.' Rakow Czestochowa won Thursday's game 2-0 to advance to the play-off round of the Conference League league phase, where they will face FC Arda Kardzhali of Bulgaria. The Athletic has contacted UEFA and Maccabi Haifa for comment. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Entrepreneur
11-08-2025
- General
- Entrepreneur
გირჩევთ წაიკითხოთ: რობერტ გრინის "ცდუნების ხელოვნება"
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