Belgium declines to host 'Israel' soccer match
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The location for the match has not yet been decided, with Budapest being mentioned as a potential option.
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Belgium fans cheer from the stands before a Group E match between Belgium and Romania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024 (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
The Belgian Football Federation (RBFA) announced on Tuesday Belgium will not be hosting the Nations League match against "Israel" on September 6, citing security concerns.
Last month, Brussels city officials stated that the match would not be held at the King Baudouin stadium because it could incite demonstrations.
Authorities determined it was "impossible to organize this very high-risk match" due to tensions related to the war on Gaza. Other Belgian cities also declined to host the match.
The location for the match has not yet been decided, with Budapest being mentioned as a potential option.
France and Italy are also in Nations League Group A2 with Belgium and "Israel."
Read more: Belgian PM slams Israeli starvation tactics in Gaza as 'inadmissible'
Since the start of the war on Gaza, the Belgian capital saw thousands of pro-Palestine protesters take to the streets demanding that the international community intervene to ensure a permanent ceasefire and an end to the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
On May 17, Belgium's prestigious University of Ghent announced it is cutting ties with three educational and research institutions in the Israeli occupation entity that it says no longer align with its human rights policy, according to the university's rector.
On May 21, Belgium announced its support for the International Criminal Court's (ICC) application for the issuance of arrest warrants against top Israeli officials and Resistance leaders.
