Belgium: Hitler salutes and anti-Semitic slogans at football match

Fans of the Belgian football club of Charleroi made Hitler salutes and shouted anti-Semitic slogans, during Thursday’s Europa League qualifying round match in Belgium against Israel’s Betar Jerusalem.

The information, confirmed by video images, was not reported by the Belgian media which only mentioned the fact that Israeli supporters threw smoke bombs, flares and firecrackers at the beginning of the match which was held up.

The owner of Beitar Jérusalem, Eli Tabib, said on Friday he was putting the Israeli Premier League club up for sale because he felt ashamed of the supporters’ behavior.

Israeli Sports Minister Miri Regev condemned the action of the fans, saying on her Facebook page a "small group of thugs" had defamed Israeli soccer and called on Israeli police to cooperate with their Belgian counterparts.

Beitar is due to host Charleroi in the return leg at Jerusalem's Teddy Kollek Stadium next week and Regev said security, which is always heavy at Beitar matches, would be tightened further.

JSS News made the following points:

- Before the match, Belgian media went to town about the "racism" of Beitar fans. And after the game, they spoke of their violence.

- The owner of Beitar Jérusalem, Eli Tabib, said he was putting the Israeli Premier League club up for sale because he felt ashamed of the supporters’ behavior.   This was widely reported in the Israeli and the Belgian media.  In Israel there was widespread condemnation of the behaviour of some of the Israeli fans.

- Whereas the Belgian media didn't refer to the vicious antisemitism of supporters of the Charleroi club, whose owner is the town of Charleroi.  JSS posted a video showing this.  It was promply taken down.  Luckily JSS had noted what they said: "Israel, we bugger you".  "Dirty Jew."  "Get out of our town."  While giving the finger and making nazi salutes.  

And if you ask these people if they are antisemitic, they are likely to say that they are not!

Dan Birenbaum who wrote the article made an appeal: "What was the reaction of the owner of Charleroi?  If you hear about it please let me know."  Good point.  In the meantime, as mentioned above, the video has vanished...