Data from a recent study shows that racist chanting by supporters in Israeli football has surged over the past year, with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans identified as the most frequent offenders.

The research, conducted by Kick It Out Israel and funded by the civil society group Givat Haviva, which promotes a “shared society for Jews and Arabs,” documented 367 instances of racist chanting during the 2024–25 Israeli Premier League (IPL) season, a record high and a 67% increase from the previous season.

Of these incidents, 118 were linked to Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters. The most commonly recorded chant was “Let the IDF win, f**k the Arabs,” notably sung by Maccabi fans during unrest preceding the club’s match against Ajax last season.

The findings help explain West Midlands Police’s decision to ban Maccabi supporters from next month’s Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham. Police intelligence and risk assessments highlighted the likelihood of “racist taunts” from travelling fans as a key concern, as per The Guardian.

Violence on the pitch

In addition to racist chanting, Kick It Out Israel documented 165 violent incidents during the season, including thrown objects and pitch invasions. This figure represents a 21% decrease compared with the previous season.

Matan Segal, director of Kick It Out Israel, said the 2024–25 season “will be remembered not for the football itself but for a series of troubling events that should concern every citizen in Israel.”

He criticized authorities for a “lack of enforcement against racism, violence, and homophobia” and noted the “absence of a serious and effective effort to combat these phenomena.”

Other clubs were also implicated, with Beitar al-Quds fans responsible for 115 incidents, and Maccabi Netanya for 29.

The report provides clear grounds for UEFA to act and suspend the IFA

The Israel Football Association (IFA) acknowledged the issue in a statement to The Guardian: “Racist comments are part of almost every league and a problem that world and European football is dealing with.”

Analysts note that the rise in racist incidents in "Israel" contrasts with broader trends in Europe. Piara Powar, executive director of the Fare network, which monitors discrimination at football matches globally, said: “In the European context, and indeed in a global environment, it’s difficult to say that discrimination is going up as a whole.”

Fare estimates that around 3,000 incidents of discrimination occur in top divisions across Europe each season. Powar added, “There are peaks and troughs, different global, regional, and national events that impact regions and countries differently. What we do know is that discrimination in all of its forms has attached itself to football for a long time, and whilst there is much more awareness of its existence and its pernicious impact, it is difficult to see it going away any time soon. Particularly not in the cauldron of political division, far-right political mainstreaming, and social media underregulation that we face.”

This week, the human rights advocacy group FairSquare sent a letter to UEFA, arguing that the IFA had violated Article 7 of UEFA’s statutes, which require member associations to “implement an effective policy aimed at eradicating racism and any other forms of discrimination.”

FairSquare stated that the Kick It Out Israel report “provides clear grounds for UEFA to act and suspend the IFA,” a measure initially anticipated last month before the announcement of the current truce in Gaza.

In short, the sharp rise in racist chanting in Israeli football reflects not just sporting culture but deeper collective and political tensions, particularly amid the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Unlike broader European trends, where discrimination is gradually being addressed, "Israel’s" spike appears closely tied to the normalization of killing and dehumanizing rhetoric against Palestinians.

In a video compilation of some of the footage posted online, here is what the Israeli Maccabi fans were doing before the clashes with pro-#Palestine protesters.

From chanting against #Arabs, using vulgar words, and tearing Palestinian flags, to disrespecting victims of #Spain's… pic.twitter.com/Xrm1zupBvN

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 8, 2024

For UEFA and other governing bodies, the challenge extends beyond stadiums: enforcing anti-racism statutes must contend with a broader context in which political extremism and militarized xenophobia permeate settlers' lives.

Without accountability, football arenas risk becoming a microcosm of systemic oppression, normalizing hatred, and undermining international commitments to human rights.