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Belgium-Israel football match moved to Hungary due to security reasons

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Nagyerdei Stadium, Debrecen

In addition to Brussels, other Belgian cities are also refusing to host the Israeli football team for security reasons. For that reason, the Nations League match Belgium-Israel will be played in Hungary on September 6, reports BBC.

“Since no local authority in Belgium considered it possible to organise the home match of the Red Devils against Israel, the KBVB had to look for a solution abroad,” said the Belgian Football Association (KBVB).

The Israel-Gaza conflict has led to demonstrations all over the world, including in Belgium. Hungary Today previously reported, these demonstrations ended in violence in many cities in Europe. There are fears that this could endanger public order, public safety and the physical safety of people in Hungary, the Budapest police headquarters said in October, justifying the ban on demonstrations related to the armed conflict between the terrorist organization Hamas and Israel.

The Israeli national team moved its home matches for the European Championship qualifiers last fall to Hungary after the outbreak of armed conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli team played against Switzerland on November 15 and against Romania on November 18 at the Pancho Arena in Felcsút (central Hungary).

The Hungarian Prime Minister was also present at the match against Switzerland, who wrote on X,

More than 10 years ago, we introduced a policy of zero tolerance towards anti-Semitism. Today, Hungary is the safest country in Europe for the Jewish community.”

Fact

In accordance with the Criminal Code adopted in 2012, Hungary has zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. In addition, the Holocaust is taught in schools, there is a day of remembrance, and the law against hate speech ensures that the horrors of the Holocaust cannot be denied. As Somló Kőves, Chief Rabbi of the EMIH Association of United Hungarian Jewish Congregation, put it: “Hungary is one of the safest places for European Jewry today. The Hungarian Jewish community is experiencing a renaissance.”

The upcoming match will be played in Debrecen (Eastern Hungary), at the Nagyerdei Stadium, behind closed doors.

The Israeli national team last visited Hungary in June, when they played a friendly match against the Hungarian team, also at the Debrecen Stadium, which Hungary won 3-0. For the Hungarian national team, this was the last preparation match before the start of the European Championship.

Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister’s Political Director, also reacted to the news of the upcoming match in Hungary. In a post on X, he wrote:

Hungary offers a safe haven for Israeli teams, another sign that Western leaders are struggling to manage social tensions caused by illegal migration and uphold the Judeo-Christian foundations of European culture.”

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Via BBC, Featured image: Facebook/Nagyerdei Stadion

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