A bus full of Maccabi Haifa fans was pelted with stones while on the way to the airport in Hungary.
By Rachel Avraham
Arutz Sheva reported that a bus carrying Maccabi Haifa supporters in Hungary was pelted with stones after the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying match against Poland’s Raków Częstochowa. At least one window was shattered; no injuries were reported. Footage of the incident was shared on social media, and local sources said it occurred after fans had left the stadium area.
Israel Hayom reported that massive panic erupted at the location, and according to witness accounts, “There was tremendous fear; they had a murderous look.” Only after extended minutes of tension and terror, the bus succeeded in continuing its journey to Budapest, from where Haifa’s supporters were scheduled to depart Friday morning back to Israel.
Maccabi Haifa’s management received updates about the severe incident and are currently deliberating their next steps, Israel Hayom reported. According to the report, one passenger who was aboard the transport explained, “This represents an antisemitic incident by any measure. Both during the initial match in Poland and the return game in Hungary they conducted themselves in this manner and chanted against Jews. Regrettably, across all of Europe this remains the situation. Only through divine intervention did no one suffer severe consequences from this attack.”
According to this same supporter, no police officers were present to safeguard Haifa fans, because the incident unfolded outside the stadium perimeter in Debrecen – where security measures and crowd separation were indeed implemented, Israel Hayom reported.
During the match, Maccabi Haifa supporters unfurled a banner reading “Murderers since 1939,” which heightened tensions. However, the Times of Israel reported that this poster was a response to the banner held up by Polish soccer fans at a match the previous week, which read “Israel is murdering and the world is silent,” in reference to the war in Gaza.
Officials in Jerusalem said that President Isaac Herzog’s office had contacted the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv following the incident. According to local reports, both sides expressed concern over the provocative behavior of a small number of fans and emphasized the importance of maintaining bilateral dialogue.
Thursday night’s violence has renewed concerns about match-day disorder across Europe. UEFA has a history of staging matches at neutral venues for safety and logistical reasons — for example, the 2019 Europa League final in Baku, Azerbaijan. For this reason, this match was held in Hungary, rather than either in Israel or Poland.
Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism worldwide, this incident adds to additional attacks against Israelis attending soccer matches abroad, Israel Hayom reported. In November, during the match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, a pogrom was carried out against Israeli fans in Amsterdam that led to the injury of dozens, Israel Hayom added. According to an Israeli investigation, the central organization behind the attack had connections to Hamas, Israel Hayom noted.
Photo from Maccabi Haifa: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-863832
