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Controversial Israel-France Soccer Match in Paris Attracts Extremely Low Turnout of Fans
Fans display a Palestinian flag and an Israel flag during the France v Israel soccer match at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France on Nov. 14, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
A tense match that took place in Paris on Thursday between Israel and France’s national soccer teams drew weak attendance against the backdrop of heightened security surrounding the stadium, recent violent attacks against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, and an anti-Israel protest in Paris.
Stade de France was barely a fifth full and only 16,611 fans were in the stands, which is nowhere near the stadium’s 80,000-person capacity, according to Reuters. In the stands were some 100 Israel soccer fans, who watched their home country and France end the UEFA Nations League match with a 0-0 draw in the French team’s first game at the Stade de France in 17 month. The Israeli soccer fans ignored a warning from the Israeli government against attending international sporting events, specifically Thursday’s game.
“We had to play this game in a context that we would like not to have. It’s obviously weird to play in front of such a [small] crowd,” France manager Didier Deschamps said after the match, as reported by ESPN.
Thursday’s match took place despite pressure from pro-Palestinian activists last week to cancel the game and following a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel rally that took place in Paris on Thursday night near the soccer stadium. Several hundred people at the protest condemned France for hosting the soccer game and criticized French leaders, such as President Emmanuel Macron for attending the match, according to EuroNews.
Thursday’s match was also attended by former Presidents of France Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, former president of the regional council of Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand and former Minister Manuel Valls. “We will not give in to antisemitism, anywhere. And violence, including in the French Republic, will never prevail, nor will intimidation,” Macron told BFM TV channel before the game.
Hoping to prevent a repeat of the violent antisemitic attacks that took place in Amsterdam last week targeting Israeli soccer fans who attended a Europa League game involving Maccabi Tel Aviv, 4,000 French security personnel were deployed inside and outside Stade de France and on public transport on Thursday. Despite the increased security, there was a brief scuffle between a small number of fans shortly after kickoff. The clashes, in which some punches were thrown, involved some fans who had oversized Israeli flags draped over their backs and though it was not clear what caused the altercation, security intervened and quickly restored calm in the stands, according to ESPN. Some anti-Israel fans in the stands also booed and whistled when Israel’s national anthem “Hatikvah” played before the start of the game.
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Says Israel Blocking Ramallah Meeting Proof of ‘Extremism’
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attends a news conference at the Arab Gulf Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 9, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government’s refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers to the West Bank showed its “extremism and rejection of peace.”
His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
“Israel’s refusal of the committee’s visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway… It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance,” the Saudi minister said.
On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said.
Bin Farhan’s visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory.
An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a “provocative meeting” to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was “killing any chance of a just and comprehensive” Arab-Israeli settlement.
An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them.
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Nonprofit Ship Sets Sail for Gaza After Drone Attack Setback
Police officers detain Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, during an Oily Money Out and Fossil Free London protest in London, Britain, October 17, 2023. Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville
International nonprofit organization Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said one of its vessels left the Italian port of Catania on Sunday, heading for Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, after a previous attempt failed due to a drone attack on a separate ship in the Mediterranean.
The crew of volunteers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, set sail on the Madleen, carrying barrels of what the group called “limited amounts, though symbolic,” of relief supplies.
Another vessel operated by the group, the Conscience, was hit by two drones just outside Maltese territorial waters in early May. FFC said Israel was to blame for the incident. Israel has not responded to requests for comment.
“We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity,” Thunberg told reporters at a conference before the departure.
She added that “no matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocised”.
FFC said the trip “is not charity. This is a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes.”
The situation in Gaza is the worst since the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists began 19 months ago, the United Nations said on Friday, despite a resumption of limited aid deliveries in the Palestinian enclave.
Under growing global pressure, Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza, allowing limited U.N.-led operations to resume.
On Monday, a new avenue for aid distribution was also launched – the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – backed by the United States and Israel, but with which the U.N. and international aid groups have refused to work, saying it is not neutral and has a distribution model that forces the displacement of Palestinians.
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Former Hamas Hostage Emily Damari and Influencer Danielle Amit Reveal Relationship
Danielle Amit and Emily Damari. Photo: Screenshot/Instagram
i24 News – In a revelation that has captured national attention and stirred waves of support, Israeli influencer Danielle Amit announced on Sunday that she is in a relationship with Emily Damari, a former Hamas hostage who was freed earlier this year.
Posting to her Instagram account, Amit shared a heartfelt message alongside a photo of the couple: “I’ve been falling asleep with a smile on my face for a while now. I’ve been dying to tell you what’s been going on in my life.”
The announcement marks a deeply symbolic moment for Damari, who is continuing her journey of recovery following her harrowing captivity.
The young woman was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas-led October 7 attack and was held for nearly 500 days before being released in the second wave of hostage exchanges in January.
Damari’s story has become one of resilience and survival, and her relationship with Amit is being widely seen as a testament to life after trauma. Followers of both women have responded with messages of encouragement and love, celebrating their courage and joy.
This public declaration comes amid ongoing conflict in the region, underscoring the power of personal healing and connection in the shadow of national tragedy.
As Damari continues to rebuild her life, her story—now entwined with a new chapter of love—remains one of strength, hope, and humanity.
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