Playing in the Europa League with a team from Israel: a huge weight |

Genocide, anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel were discussed during the football match between SC Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv.What happened there?

Europa League game against an Israeli team: very difficult

Genocide, anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel are being discussed around the football match between SC Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv.What's going on?

It took time.But three hours before the start of the match, the somewhat tense atmosphere in "Jaffa" was relieved with the help of music.The system was operated in the Israeli restaurant.People danced around the table to traditional sounds.In its midst, local owner Bilal Aluj, a Syrian Kurdish Muslim, joined the ranks, who, with the opening of “Jaffa” in early 2025, created a forum for the Jewish community in Freiburg.But more on that later.

Before the soccer match between SC Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv, Jaffa will also be a contact point for Israeli fans.Free beer for them and Billal Aloge organized 1000 Israeli flags.Dominated by regular polls, only a few Israeli dancers, and only about 100 tickets were sold to the away area in the stadium area.

There is a heavy police presence outside the bar.About ten emergency vehicles and some motorcycles were seen.Unknown visitors have to search for the body. "There is also a fear," says Alog.In the days leading up to the soccer match, he reported, he had to scratch off more and more anti-Semitic stickers.

According to the police, in another place of the last meeting of the Jews in Freiburg, on the square of the Old Synagogue, 650 people showed almost at the same time against this game and, among other things, for closing the game of Israel in Europe.And they are not satisfied that the massacre in Gaza is the only thing.

The result of the game is just a side note

The questions that have been discussed in the city for months ahead of the soccer match between SC Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv are mostly serious.It is not about content and tactical questions, but about international law and crimes against humanity, hatred of Israel and anti-Semitism.In such a situation, SC Freiburg's 1-0 win on Thursday night seems like nothing more than a side note.

The tone of the debate was set in mid-November with an online petition from the Freiburg alliance "Solidarity for Palestine".The three main demands: exclusion of Maccabi fans from the Freiburg game, exclusion of Israel from European football and ticket revenue from SC Freiburg should benefit Palestinian victims in Gaza, following the example of the Norwegian Football Association.

Both the city of Freiburg and SC Freiburg clearly distance themselves from this request in their statements.That's why they didn't even talk to the city and the club, say three representatives of the alliance.The differences seem unbearable.The meeting place two days before the game is a corner bar near the university with a dark interior.

Two women and a man came and wanted to reveal as little personal information as possible - to avoid possible future professional losses.Just first names, not all of them are correct.Estimated age is around 30.Some are completing their doctorates, some are working, there are also those who don't want to say anything.They call themselves Sarah, Anne and Avram.Anyway it should be "almost".Avram is Jewish-Israeli, SC wears a Freiburg scarf.was, and is, one of the most aggressive groups in defending itself against accusations of anti-Semitism stemming from a desire to exclude the group.

Is their government responsible?

Avram also faces accusations that all Maccabi fans are responsible for the Israeli government's policy of calling for a boycott.Don't Maccabi fans represent the entire spectrum of Israeli society, and among them are not the outspoken opponents of Prime Minister Netanyahu?"It's not just about Netanyahu. It's about the Gaza genocide. The Israeli left also thinks the army did a good job in Gaza. Hardly anyone says I won't join the army," Avram replies.

Sarah noted that breaking international rules is a common practice in sports.She dismisses metaphors as whataboutism.For Avram, the question of why the Gaza war gets more attention than other military conflicts is irrelevant.He urged: "We should not avoid the issue of Israel."Annie added: "We shouldn't play with each other's difficulties."

The “Palestine Solidarity Alliance” is also carrying out practical work on the ground.As fans of right-wing extremists attacked Arabic-language stores in Amsterdam during Maccabi Tel Aviv's appearance, tickets with phone numbers for legal advice were distributed in corresponding Freiburg stores following possible attacks, says Sarah.

About 1,500 people signed the online petition.Success?Sarah says, "There's no set goal. It's about raising awareness of the problem."They would consider peaceful protests and the absence of attacks by Maccabi fans on the residents of Freiburg as success in their efforts.

Death threats on the list

During the demonstration in Freiburg on Thursday and in favor of Maccabi fans, it was peaceful.The police had previously explained that it was unlikely that anyone from the notorious "Fanatics" group was coming forward.The day when the authorities consider the number of accidents to be very high can be seen in front of the Israeli restaurant "Jaffa".

Its owner, Billal Aloghe, believes it is not enough to be the target of anti-Semitic attacks in Germany.This Kurdish Syrian was once well known in Freiburg as the successful restaurateur of two well-run Arabic restaurants called Damascus.They were also visited by senior members of Freiburg's Jewish community.The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 prompted him to include a little token of sympathy on the menu.praises Baba Ganoush's eggplant cream as an Israeli dish.“I want to say to my mostly elderly Israeli visitors, ‘Welcome.’ I see how much they have been affected by the terrorist attacks.”He also posts updates on his restaurant's Instagram.

He and his wife immediately received threats of death and fire, as well as the worst insults.Aloge reports hundreds of phone calls.Many of their friends of Arab origin lost their friendship with them overnight.Even on the Internet there were calls for a boycott.The restaurant was on the verge of bankruptcy when no one wanted to book a table despite the off-season, during the Sugar Festival.Because of the production. It can't be right," says Aloj. Because of the danger, only the police were there and some Jewish regulars. They advised him to contact the security service of the Freiburg Synagogue, because they were familiar with such situations.

This led to a new connection and the decision to respond to the hostility by opening an Israeli restaurant.About 700 people belong to the Jewish community of Freiburg.How grateful everyone in Billal Aloge's ranks is to have a place in common with "Jaffa" not previously in the city, is shown by the very warm greeting in the restaurant.

"With us, every guest is a friend"

"I don't actually like politics," Aroghe said two days before a politically charged soccer match.He enjoyed the restaurant's simple, friendly atmosphere.David, a chef, moved with his family from Israel to Freiburg for Jaffa, and he worked with Mohammed, a Muslim, stirring pots in the kitchen with a yarmulke on his head."I like you very much, but I don't like your government," Mohamed once told David, Aroghe reported.he really liked him.

In the four walls of 'Jaffa', Bilal Aluj is able to approach the complexities of war in the Middle East with disarming simplicity."With us, every guest is a friend," says Jaffa's homepage.He assured that the far-right supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv, who had already been talked about a lot, would be welcome as long as they behaved.Otherwise they will be handed over to the police..You must compete with the good with the bad.For example, there will be no exam on that day.

Aloge rented a tram in Freiburg as advertising space for his restaurant."Schalömle" is written on the blue tram.And before the match against Maccabi Tel Aviv, he announced via Instagram that this should be used to transport the fans to the stadium.Freiburger Verkehrs AG (VAG) said in the days before the match that it still had to be discussed with the police.

Just a day before the match, the Jaffa-Bahn was involved in a "classic left-turn accident", according to the VAG on demand.There was no evidence of intentional damage.And they announced: "As a subsidiary of the municipality, we are also committed to political neutrality and will not participate in the politicization of either football or trams."It also sounds simpler than it is.

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