Anti-Semitism Fears Stalk Euro Soccer Tourney
With the European Football Championships just around the corner, the public debate on anti-Semitism and racism in general is gaining momentum in Poland, out of a fear for disruptions by extremists during the games.
Security authorities across the country have been put on alert ahead of the UEFA Euro 2012, which is set to begin in Poland and Ukraine on June 8. In Warsaw alone, 10,000 police will be deployed to ensure appropriate audience conduct among the hundreds of thousands of soccer fans arriving from foreign countries.
In addition, the Polish press has given much focus over the past few days to condemning any form of hostility to minorities, including Jews. The magazine, “Newsweek”, even devoted its entire last issue to the matter. Jesus and Mary appear on the front cover, with Stars of David on their clothes, accompanied by the headline “Jesus, Maria, Jews! How contemporary Poland handles the shame of anti-Semitism.” Among the articles, one can find “Jews, the Pole’s Eternal Enemy”, whose subheading is “Polish anti-Semitism does not require Jews. The hatred is fed by hatred.”
The public debate is taking place just as the former captain of the English soccer team urged British soccer fans to stay away from the European championship. In an interview with BBC, Sol Campbell warned fans of racism and violence in Poland and Ukraine. “You could end up coming back in a coffin,” he said.
For more, go to Haaretz.com
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
