A Jewish youth football team in Berlin has been placed under police protection after members were reportedly chased by an armed group following a match last week, according to GB News.
Players from Makkabi Berlin's youth team, aged between 13 and 16, said they were pursued by Arab youths wielding knives and sticks after a game against local rivals in the Neukölln neighborhood, an area known for its significant Arab and Turkish population.
One father said his son was "deeply shaken" by the incident, which allegedly involved opposing team members spitting at the Jewish players while chanting "free Palestine" and "f*cking Jews."
At the same time with Amsterdam pogrom, 13-y-o players from German-Jewish Makkabi Berlin football team suffered antisemitic attacks during and after a game in Berlin. Jewish kids were chased by a crowd with sticks and knives.
Antisemitic attacks against Jews in Europe are daily… pic.twitter.com/ZxMhgrNfBY
— lelemSLP (@lelemSLP) November 11, 2024
The Staatsschutz, a unit responsible for investigating politically motivated crime, will now provide police protection for the youth team. The club's adult team has been receiving similar protection since October 7.
Berlin Interior Senator Iris Spranger condemned the attacks, telling the DPA International: "Just recently, there were attacks on players from the sports club TuS Makkabi Berlin. These acts show that antisemitic violence and discrimination have not disappeared in our city either."
Schwarz-Weiss Neukölln, the opposition team, pledged to identify and remove those involved. "Incidents like this don't belong on soccer pitches – and certainly not on ours," a spokesman said.
Makkabi Berlin, founded in the 1970s by Holocaust survivors, was the city's first Jewish sports club established after World War II. Earlier this month, a fan wearing the club's scarf was reportedly punched after being asked if he was Jewish.
The incident comes amid growing concerns for Jewish safety across Europe, with Israel warning its citizens to avoid sporting and cultural events following similar attacks, including recent violence against football fans in Amsterdam.
