Matan Segal directed Kick It Out Israel, an anti-discrimination initiative with similar aims but no link to the English organisation of the same name, for almost four years before stepping down a few months ago.<\/p>\n
Racism has long been present in Israeli club football. Beitar Jerusalem’s fans are among the most notorious. <\/p>\n
In 2013, ultras burned down their own club’s offices in protest at the signing of two Chechen Muslims. <\/a><\/p>\n The most extreme Beitar fans have long taunted Israeli Arabs with chants of “may your village burn”, while declaring themselves “forever pure”.<\/p>\n However during his time at Kick It Out Israel, Segal saw racism against Arab players become more virulent and widespread.<\/p>\n Covid, during which fans radicalised online during lockdown, was one cause. <\/p>\n The election of Israel’s far-right government<\/a> at the end of 2022, legitimising views towards Palestinians that were previously seen as extreme, was a second.<\/p>\n The war was undoubtedly another.<\/p>\n “Before 7 October, people generally respected the Arab players,” Segal said.<\/p>\n “Even though they had difficulties with them not singing the Israeli anthem, they respected them and they could talk about it. <\/p>\n “After 7 October though, we saw an increase in racist remarks.<\/p>\n “It was happening at small clubs where we hadn’t seen it before. There were terrible songs – ‘Let’s kill all Arabs’, ‘There are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left’.”<\/p>\n Football, inevitably, has become a focal point for emotion generated by the conflict.<\/p>\n Clubs which are usually bitter rivals came together to remember those killed by Hamas. Scarves were part of the commemoration at the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds were killed.<\/p>\n Hapoel Jerusalem’s club badge now features a silhouette of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted and killed in captivity and whose parents have campaigned for peace through their grief.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers have posed with club flags and banners while on operation in Gaza, dedicating their actions to the clubs and ultras back home., external<\/a><\/p>\n In such a heightened atmosphere, young footballers \u2013 closely connected to the conflict through Israel’s programme of national service and a barrage of online commentary and images \u2013 are under constant scrutiny and pressure.<\/p>\n Gloukh’s lifelong friend Afik Tery was killed by a Hamas explosive while serving in the IDF.<\/p>\n