How football is becoming a zero-sum ‘game’?
By Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe
The tragic and horrifying scenes of violence in Amsterdam against fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv, who were there to support their team in a match against Ajax earlier this month, were a painful reminder of one of the darkest times in history – the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, millions of Jews across Europe were targeted, persecuted, and killed, with other marginalized groups like Black people, and the LGBTQ community also suffering under brutal oppression. Yet, Jews bore the brunt of that unimaginable horror.
Today, despite the world’s advancement in building institutions, systems, and policies to combat hatred and discrimination, polarizing actions targeting Israelis and Jews still occur. Attacks like the one in Amsterdam show how far we still need to go in promoting tolerance.
Democratic South Africa’s founding father, Nelson Mandela, once declared, “Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” Mandela’s words were born from South Africa’s own painful legacy of colonialism and Apartheid, under which Black South Africans endured systemic violence and discrimination. Instead of pursuing retribution, Mandela and his contemporaries opted for a path of reconciliation and healing – a legacy of tolerance that should guide us today.
Seeing football fans attacked for being associated with Israel or for being Jewish is deeply disturbing. Such cowardly and barbaric acts demand the strongest condemnation from all progressive nations and communities. These attacks reveal an alarming rise in antisemitism and racism worldwide, as Jews continue to face threats and violence simply for their identity.
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights reports that Jews in Europe experience high levels of antisemitism both off and online. As a result, many Jews feel pressured to conceal their identity to ensure their safety, a distressing outcome fueled by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East that disproportionately impact Jewish communities in Europe, the United States, and beyond.
South Africa is not immune to this surge in intolerance. According to the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), there were 182 reported incidents of antisemitism in the first 11 months of 2023, including assaults outside a synagogue in Johannesburg, an attack on a Rabbi, and another incident where a Jewish individual was hit over the head at a pro-Palestine rally in Cape Town. This rising hostility undermines the country’s commitment to diversity and tolerance.
The recent case of Cricket South Africa stripping Jewish player David Teeger of his captaincy under questionable security concerns reflects a troubling trend of discrimination. Targeting individuals based on their Jewish heritage or association with Israel is an affront to sportsmanship and tolerance. Such actions are not motivated by solidarity with Palestinian struggles but by an underlying hatred that unfairly targets Jewish individuals wherever they are.
The violence in Amsterdam has less to do with Middle Eastern conflicts and more to do with hatred toward Jews. The fans attending this game were civilians who came to support their team – like anyone else in the world – only to be met with hostility. Their presence was about enjoying sports, not waging a war.
It is evident that the attacks were premeditated, likely orchestrated by those who sympathize with Hamas, which launched an assault against Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis, abducting over 250 people, and destroying property in an attempt to eliminate the State of Israel. Rather than using peaceful means to express their views, these attackers sent a hostile message that further escalates tensions rather than working toward resolution.
Sports have the power to unite people across backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. When politics enters this space, it risks creating a toxic divide that shatters unity. We must resist anyone’s attempt to exploit sports for narrow political agendas. Let us champion the beautiful game and the unity it fosters, standing together against the forces that would use it to sow division and hate.
About the writer:
Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe is a political writer and researcher based at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
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