"As a Jew born in London and living here my entire life, I need to take special precautions. This is the first time I feel this way. For example, there are pro-Palestinian marches in central London almost every Saturday, an area we must stay away from. There are no similar protests against the mass killings in Sudan and Nigeria. This doesn't have much connection to football. The decision was made minutes after the match was set, based on what happened to Maccabi fans in Amsterdam and Derby. This is a connection between sports and politics, as happened in the past in South Africa, and it's terrible in my eyes.

"There might be. They take words and compare them to Jews: 'genocide,' 'starvation,' everything the Jewish people suffered from in Europe. They see world Zionism as 'dirty,' and they have no idea. When I ask people what the phrase 'from the river to the sea' means, they don't know which sea we're talking about or which river exists in Palestine. The term 'free Palestine' is modern antisemitism."

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Josh Howie, a prominent comedian and television host of Jewish descent, delivered a speech on GB News ahead of the match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Aston Villa. In his speech, he sharply criticized the city and police policy and announced he would attend the match as an act of protest.

Howie criticized "bullies" who wanted "to ban Jews" from attending the match, and believes other Jews should join him to stand up for British democracy.

'I am a British Jew, and on Thursday I am going to Birmingham to watch a football match!'

Josh Howie slams 'bullies' who wanted to 'ban Jews' from attending the Aston Villa match against Tel Aviv Maccabi, and believes others should join him to stand up for British democracy. pic.twitter.com/4LPwFK2RMp

— GB News (@GBNEWS) November 2, 2025

More Jewish organizations are joining Howie's call, stating, "What was supposed to be just a soccer match could go down in British history – as the night when our second city, 80 years after its victory over the Nazis, tested whether it would surrender to Islamofascists led by MP Javed Khan and his associates Ahmad Yaqub and Shakeel Afsar. Resist."

Pro-Palestinian protest groups planning to attend the match are calling it "the battle for Birmingham," claiming the entire city is united "against Israel." "We have over 30 organizations that are going to show up, families and fans who are going to show the fury we have toward Israel." The organizations claim the protests will be non-violent, but local police are preparing for major tensions between Muslims and Jews.

As a reminder, Maccabi Tel Aviv decided to forfeit the allocation it received in any case, due to the danger of confrontations, but in England, officials understand that Jewish and Israeli fans will likely arrive at the match anyway.

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Arie, called "Zalman," was father to two sons and grandfather to five grandchildren. Throughout his life he was a man of the soil who worked in agriculture and field crops, and specialized in cultivating wheat under the difficult Negev conditions. He was a countryside person with broad knowledge of history and the Land of Israel.

"I witnessed his murder"

The rescue of a living hostage revealed what the killers did to Zalman in captivity. The hostage Farhan Qadi, rescued from a tunnel in the southern Strip through a complex operation, described that soon after the abduction he was moved to an apartment rather than a tunnel, and there he witnessed one of his fellow captives dying, as the terrorists recorded it.

"Right after that they recorded me as well, and then I witnessed his murder," Farhan stated. It later emerged that this was Arie Zalmanowicz.

Approximately 40 days following his abduction, Hamas released a 28-second video showing Zalmanowicz lying on a bed, attached to a monitor and saying he doesn't feel well. Subsequently Arie appears motionless and covered in a white sheet.

On Saturday October 7, Zalman awoke at 6:29 a.m. to a "Color Red" alert indicating there were incoming projectiles. He conversed multiple times with his family and informed them about the situation. He even prepared himself a cup of coffee, which stayed behind in the safe room as a mute witness.

Near 10:00 a.m. the terrorists broke into his home. They smashed the safe room door, struck him on the head with a club, aimed a gun at his temple and offered him a choice between dying immediately or being taken captive. Zalman, despite being an elderly and unwell man, chose life and resolved to mount the motorcycle with the terrorists toward Gaza.

In the "There Were Homes There" project by Israel Hayom commemorating two years since October 7, his family described him: His wife Ruth died many years earlier and he resided alone. Agriculture formed the core of his life and activities. Zalman was a conversationalist with broad knowledge of history and the Land of Israel and possessed a remarkable stamp collection. He was an honest, modest, self-reliant worker, an idealist who rarely showed his emotions. Zalman viewed the kibbutz as his life's fulfillment and his home, and the community as his family.

In captivity Zalman struggled to survive without medicine and food. He remained with several friends from Nir Oz and other locations. They told the family about his final terrible days, and his family hopes their presence helped alleviate somewhat his suffering and isolation.

Tamir was a family person

Tamir Adar (38), married to Hadas and father to Asaf and Neta. Third generation in Kibbutz Nir Oz, the kibbutz's first grandson.

As part of Nir Oz's standby squad, Tamir departed his home to protect the kibbutz on October 7's morning. During a courageous battle he waged with his friends he sustained very serious wounds, was taken captive and didn't survive the injury. The death announcement came in January 2024. His grandmother, Yafa Adar, was likewise abducted and released from captivity in the initial hostage agreement.

Tamir was a family person, someone who loved people and nature, a farmer and educator professionally. A person of dialogue, possessing broad knowledge about nearly every topic. He was a dedicated supporter of Maccabi Tel Aviv, constantly surrounded by friends and beloved by all.

He was someone of nature, wide spaces, music and dancing. He greatly loved birds of prey and would observe them with binoculars while working the fields and during trips. He felt renewed excitement each morning from watching sunrises and enjoyed viewing the sunset with Hadas and the children from Nir Oz's fields.

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Rashid continued his incitement, "If you meet an IDF soldier and make an intervention with him, you can take from him, but not give. If you tell him, 'If your team wins, you'll receive $10,000 and if you lose, you'll have to give me $10,000,' and your team really won – take the money from him. If your team lost – you don't pay him. This is the law that applies to people like IDF soldiers."

Video: The imam's preaching against Israelis / Credit: MEMRI

"Does this also apply to the straight Dutchman, an honest person, nice, who has no hostility toward Islam? There are so many such Europeans that we as Muslims must be a personal example to them – both to Muslims and to non-Muslims living in Europe, so they will know the true character of Islam," Rashid added. He said these words directly to the camera, in a relaxed atmosphere, without fearing consequences.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is scheduled to visit Villa Park on November 6 as part of the European League, and Rashid's shocking words evoke difficult memories from last year, when Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who accompanied the team to Amsterdam were subjected to a severe antisemitic lynching by Muslims. Approximately 30% of Birmingham's population, England's second-largest city, is Muslims. Rashid is one of the known anti-Israel figures in the area and is regularly present at rallies and demonstrations in the city.

Local Member of Parliament, Pakistani Ayub Khan, has already called to cancel the match, labeled Maccabi Tel Aviv fans "thugs" and claimed he fears they will make provocations and harm residents, "like they did in Amsterdam." Khan has been seen more than once alongside Rashid, including last month at a demonstration where the preacher called to "detonate Zionism." Rashid is extreme and dangerous, supported "preventive actions against Zionists," and claimed that prayers for Jews are treason.

Rashid received sharp criticism for his call for violence against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, and even British Muslims called the video "abhorrent," made clear that he "doesn't represent Islam's values," and accused Rashid of incitement. Until now, the local police have neither arrested him nor announced an investigation, which is causing great anger online. "Pure incitement against Jews, how is he still not in prison?" a commentator wrote.

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The Amsterdam court sentenced four individuals involved in the riots surrounding the Ajax versus Maccabi Tel Aviv match on November 7 to prison terms of up to 12 weeks to prison terms of up to 12 weeks on Wednesday. Court evidence confirmed that the suspects either shared information in WhatsApp groups to coordinate and incite attacks on Israeli fans or directly participated in the violence. The most severe sentence of 12 weeks was handed to one particular defendant.

The incident occurred on the night between November 7 and 8, following a European League soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax. Israeli team supporters faced brutal attacks by local rioters who documented their violent acts and shared them across social media platforms.

Reports indicate that a 27-year-old defendant received the longest prison sentence. The judge specifically cited his Holocaust glorification in recovered WhatsApp messages as particularly egregious. In an application group called Burthuis 2, which had over 900 members, he actively tracked and reported Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters' locations. His messages included disturbing statements such as: "Better a dead Jew than a living Jew." The evidence showed he also shared an image of Anne Frank with the text: "Laughing gas is for the weak, I use Zyklon B."

The application also contained another image featuring Adolf Hitler. The judge condemned the trivialization of the Holocaust represented in these messages, stating: "The persecution of Jews during World War II is one of the most shocking events in human history. It caused unprecedented suffering. Even today."

The legal proceedings have advanced significantly, with 14 identified suspects already having stood trial for their involvement in the riots, according to NL Times. Five received convictions with sentences ranging from 100 hours of community service to six months imprisonment during the first set of hearings. An additional two adults and two minors are scheduled to appear in court soon.

The Public Prosecution Service continues its investigation to identify more potential suspects and victims, with dozens of individuals currently under scrutiny. Mara van den Berg, press officer for the OM in Amsterdam, informed the Dutch NOS that "The investigation is still ongoing, but we assume that we now have all the people who committed the most serious violent incidents in our sights."

Recent reports from Europe suggest that "European media remains silent while the court hears shocking details about the 'Jew hunt' in Amsterdam." Hungarian journalist Zoltan Kottasz claimed on Tuesday that five additional suspects appeared in court for the brutal attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, while Western liberal media outlets maintain what he described as a cynical silence regarding the incident.

While this isn't the first instance where pro-Palestinians who attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have received prison sentences, it represents a significant advancement in the ongoing investigations – with Dutch police apparently making progress in recent days by apprehending an increasing number of those involved in the riots.

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Following Israel Hayom's report, tensions escalate as sharp disagreements surface within Israel's security establishment regarding the inadequate preparations that left thousands of Israeli soccer fans exposed to attacks in Amsterdam last Thursday.

The National Security Council typically bears responsibility for warning Israelis about overseas threats. This was demonstrated Sunday when the council issued a detailed advisory urging Israelis to completely avoid attending sports events involving Israeli teams abroad, particularly emphasizing the national team's upcoming match against France in Paris this Thursday.

Video: Compilation of footage of the Amsterdam attack

No such warning was issued to soccer fans who traveled to Amsterdam last Thursday for Maccabi Tel Aviv's match against Ajax. In fact, they received no specific information beyond the general advisory applied to all Israelis traveling abroad, which calls for downplaying their Israeli identity and avoiding displays of Israeli or Jewish symbols.

It remains unclear how a soccer match featuring an Israeli team, whose supporters wear team colors – clearly Israeli identifiers – fits within these criteria. Nevertheless, lacking other intelligence, the National Security Council did not update its warning, and fans were not prevented from attending the game. The explanation provided was that the council relies on information from Israeli intelligence agencies, and without such input, there was no basis to modify the guidelines.

A day before the match, intelligence emerged about an Israeli combat unit veteran who had participated in Gaza operations, whose identity was circulated by Muslim groups in the city, raising concerns about potential targeting. This information was transferred from the Mossad to the National Security Council, and the individual was reportedly located and warned. The National Security Council considered this sufficient and did not conclude it indicated possible risks to the thousands of Israelis visiting the city.

Several hours before the match, both the Mossad and the Diaspora Affairs Ministry received updated intelligence about Muslim groups organizing to attack Israelis after the game. The Mossad shared this information with its Dutch counterpart, while the Shin Bet security agency updated the security officer at the Israeli embassy in Holland, who informed local police. Dutch authorities promised to enhance security around fans leaving the stadium but ultimately took a minimal approach that failed to prevent the attacks.

The National Security Council officials claimed Sunday that the information shared with the Dutch was not properly communicated to them as required. They pointed fingers at the Mossad, suggesting that "interested parties" were briefing against them, referring to Sunday's Israel Hayom headline about the National Security Council's failure to prepare for the event. "Prior to the Amsterdam disturbances, no information or recommendations were received from various agencies to elevate travel warnings," they added.

In response, security officials argued that the National Security Council is attempting to deflect responsibility, not only for taking a minimalist approach while ignoring the event's volatility. They contend that even if the National Security Council received the information late, they could have acted differently, such as issuing immediate warnings to Israelis at the match to remove identifying markers or directing them to specific transportation routes for enhanced security. In practice, relevant messages were only conveyed to fans after the incident had concluded.

The bottom line of this incident is disturbing, not only because of the attack that demonstrated the depth of anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish hatred in Europe. It once again exposed the lack of synchronization between various security and government agencies, which left thousands of Israelis without crucial information and exposed to the violent assault in Amsterdam.

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Former Ireland great Robbie Keane was hired Monday to coach Maccabi Tel Aviv's soccer club, his first job leading a team that plays in European competitions.

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The club said Keane signed a two-year contract and will arrive in Tel Aviv in the coming days. Maccabi will play in the Europa Conference League on July 27, facing Romanian club Petrocub Hîncești in the second qualifying round.

The former Tottenham, Liverpool, Inter Milan, and LA Galaxy forward briefly coached in India in 2018. He has been an assistant with Ireland and, for the final four games of last season, with another of his former clubs, Leeds. Keane's 146 national team appearances and 68 goals are both Ireland records.

"Robbie brings the mentality, character, energy, and focus of a winner, traits he exhibited everywhere he played," Maccabi's owner, Canadian real estate developer Mitch Goldhar, said in a statement.

Maccabi finished third in the Israeli league last season, coached for the second half of the campaign by Aitor Karanka. Keane is Maccabi's 15th coaching appointment in the last decade, following others such as Jordi Cruyff, Peter Bosz, and Paulo Sousa.

Although Israel is in Asia, the country's soccer teams have been playing in the European region since the 1990s. The country became a UEFA member nation in 1994.

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Maccabi Tel Aviv played against Real Madrid in early January in what was also a milestone: After 11 years and 25 games, Pablo Laso was not running the show this time for the Spaniards, having ended his association with the Los Blancos during the summer.

The love story between Laso and the club had an unfortunate ending: Toward the end of the previous season, he suffered a heart attack and could not participate in the playoff stages, and then in July, Real Madrid shocked European basketball by announcing that it would be dispensing with his services for "solely and exclusively medical reasons". Laso's jaw dropped when heard this, and he countered that he was still fit to coach the team and had all the necessary medical documents. In one fell swoop, one of the most glorious coaching careers in European professional basketball had come to an end. In his 11-year run as coach, he won the EuroLeague crowns, six Spanish League championships, five Super Cups, and on the way also managed to catapult players that would become superstars, chiefly among them Luka Dončić.

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Laso gave Israel Hayom an interview in which he opened up about his ordeal. 

Q: Talk about the day you got the news about your termination? 

"Of course, I didn't like it, and this was not a pleasant day. It came as a surprise. However, I realized that if the club is making this decision, I will have to abide by it. I understood immediately that I could not live off what I got as Real Madrid's coach and that I had to think about the future, which opens up opportunities for good things. Had I fallen in despair, I would have come off as someone who would forever be defined only as the former Real Madrid coach, but before that, I am Pablo Laso." 

Q: I read somewhere that you have ruled out coming back even if they offer that. 

"This was the main club in my career. If this happens in the future, I will consider. It would be hard to say no to such a club." 

Q: Take us back to your medical event toward the end of the season and how it all unfolded?

"I woke up that day feeling unwell, so I called my doctor. After I had completed the medical checkups, the doctor informed me that I would have to stay in the hospital. Two days later I was discharged. Although a heart attack sounds like some big ordeal, I must confess that it did not cause such great suffering and I could not imagine that my life would be upended. All the doctor said was that I had to follow some basic rules on nutrition and sports. Ever since, I have been feeling great; everything is totally normal. I didn't run marathons before the heart attack and I don't plan on starting now."

Q: How has the time off been so far?

"It has been a big change to stop coaching after such a long period. For now, I am just enjoying this free time with the family. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder why I am not heading out to a training session. Basketball is my life; it's my love. I miss coaching. What happened to me just comes with the territory of being a basketball coach. Someone told me, 'You are not really a basketball coach until you have been fired'." 

Q: What was your greatest moment in those 11 years as the Real Madrid coach? 

"Some would point to a particular cup or some other title, but for me the greatest moments were the day-to-day activities; just working with these players on a daily basis, with such great staff, and in such a great club. To be in this club for 11 years outshines any victory." 

Q: When are you going to resume coaching, and where? 

"This will happen only when it feels right. A coach always lives off his suitcases. I will only join a place that appreciates me and where I could move the team forward. This really doesn't have to be only in the EuroLeague; a coach is a coach. I don't like the approach that pigeonholes someone as just a EuroLeague coach and another one as a EuroCup coach."

A once-in-a-generation player

Q: Who do you expect to win the EuroLeague championship?

"Today Olympiacos is the best and most stable group but it can change. There are quite a few good teams out there, including some that I find hard to assess, just like the Red Star Belgrade, which became strong with Facundo Campazzo."

Q: What is your overall assessment of Real Madrid so far? 

"They have signed big players during the summer, such as Mario Hezonja and Džanan Musa. They have a top-notch team; there is no doubt that they are viable contenders for the championship." 

Q: What do you think about the upcoming game between Real Madrid and Maccabi Tel Aviv? 

"It's an open game. Real Madrid will come to rebuild their confidence after two losses and they will have a difficult task. Maccabi is in good shape and they will know how to compensate for the injuries; Lorenzo Brown has a good grip on the team."

Q: When Maccabi's performance was subpar and there were rumors on Oded Kattash, your name also came up. 

"I know that my name was passed around because I have friends in Tel Aviv who told me about it. This is flattering, but it is quite shocking that the Israeli media was talking about me while there is a coach like Oded Kattash who is doing a good job." 

Q: And if such an opportunity surfaces in the future, would you want to arrive in Tel Aviv?

"If I could tell the future, I would have filled a lottery ticket. It would be a great honor to be considered by Maccabi." 

And of course, we cannot let Laso go without talking about the crown jewel in his career: Dončić. Laso gave the Slovanian the keys when the latter was only 16 in the Real empire, and this helped catapult him to great success. "I am so proud of all the players that I have nurtured, but Luka is a once-in-a-generation kind of player. He joined us when he was 13, then developed and built his character. Luka is a source of great pride. His greatness is that he took something from all the giants he played with. From an early age, I saw that he could compete at every level. Real Madrid is a club that believes in young people and Luka is a great example of that."

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The 33-year-old made history in 2009 when he became the first Israeli to land a contract with an NBA team after being selected in the Draft. He is considered one of the greatest basketball players in Israeli history.

Casspi has played for iconic Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv for the last two seasons at, but he has been plagued by injuries.

In his announcement Sunday, the former captain of Israel's national basketball team said, "The game has given so much over the years. I have reached the heights of basketball in Europe and around the world in a way the I could have never imagined before, playing against Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and even went to the White House.

"I never believe I'd make those dreams come true," he said, "but I realized it was my time to quit active basketball and start the next stage in life."

During his 10-year NBA career, Casspi played for the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors.

"Omri Casspi's career has shown us how much hard work and sacrifice are required, and how much determination is necessary when you want to become an elite athlete," Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper said.

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TJ Cline, an American-Israeli basketball player currently playing in Italy, is close to signing with Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel Hayom has learned.

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Cline, who is 26 and stands 20.6 meters (6.75 feet) tall, started out the season with Italy's Basket Brescia Leonessa and scored an average of 11.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in Italian Lega Basket games and 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in EuroCup games.

Recently, Maccabi Tel Aviv has been looking into the possibility of the player leaving his current club and joining the Israeli team in an attempt to beef up its starting bench.

If Cline signs with Maccabi, it will be the second Israeli team on which he has played. He spent 2017-2020 with Hapoel Holon, when the team won the national title.

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