'Israeli hooligans' provocative banner fuels clash with Polish fans
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A Maccabi Haifa banner sparks outrage and fan violence after a Europa League match in Hungary, intensifying tensions between Israelis and supporters of Palestine.
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Israeli Maccabi Haifa supporters carry a banner that reads "Murderers since 1939", Debrecen, Hungary, August 15, 2025. (Social media)
Israeli soccer fans displayed a banner reading “Murderers since 1939” during a match against a Polish team, leading Polish fans to attack an Israeli fan bus after the game last night.
Fans of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa displayed a controversial "Murderers since 1939" banner during their Europa Conference League match against Poland's Raków Częstochowa, an encounter that was relocated to Debrecen, Hungary, for security reasons.
After Maccabi Haifa's 2:0 defeat in the match, a group of Raków Częstochowa fans attacked an Israeli fan bus by throwing stones, with the violent incident being captured on video, though no injuries were reported from the clash.
'Israel is murdering and the world is silent'
Channel 13 reported that the "Murderers since 1939" banner displayed by Maccabi Haifa fans came in response to a previous incident where Polish soccer fans unveiled a banner reading "Israel is murdering and the world is silent" during a match the prior week, referencing the ongoing war on Gaza.
The controversial "Murderers since 1939" banner has sparked widespread outrage across Poland, prompting Polish President Karol Nawrocki to condemn the display on the social media platform X, where he stated that the scandalous message dishonors the memory of Poland's World War Two victims, including the three million Jewish citizens who perished during the war.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski condemned the banner as a "scandalous distortion of Polish history," attributing its display to what he described as "Israeli hooligans".
Similar provocations took place in 2024, when supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv team tore through the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands, and took down Palestine flags posted on balconies and windows, triggering clashes between the Israelis and hundreds of pro-Palestine individuals.
The incidents surrounding Maccabi's match against Ajax, including violent clashes between Israeli fans and bystanders, property destruction, and the burning of Palestinian flags, have provoked strong public condemnation.
Social media videos that have been widely shared capture Maccabi fans engaging in destructive behavior, including damaging private property, attacking a taxi driver, and fighting with police officers.
