Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, the threat situation for Jews in Germany has also worsened significantly in sports. This was said by Alon Meyer, President of the Makkabi Germany Sports Association, who also noted fear among the non-Jewish members of the Makkabi clubs. It is “an absolute decline in our society. Where have we arrived?” said Meyer at the presentation of an initiative against anti-Semitic incidents in sports on Monday in Dortmund.
Training stopped at some Makkabi local clubs
“Since October 7th there has been an unbelievable deterioration of the situation,” said Meyer: “If things have already escalated in the Middle East in the past, we have been held jointly liable for the only Jewish state. And since October 7th everything has been getting out of hand, some training and games have been completely stopped at some Makkabi local clubs.”
According to Meyer, there is an “ugly situation in which members of Makkabi, most of whom are not of Jewish faith, have to be afraid to come to training.” At the same time, “the club is moving ever closer together in order to strengthen each other “. The Makkabi members have to ask themselves questions “that have nothing to do with sport and have no place there. What will it be like at the away game, will we be accompanied, will there be police protection?”
Stephan Löwenstein, Vienna Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Jakob Krembzow Published/Updated: Recommendations: 94 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1
But it is important to face this, said Meyer: “Society must understand that we must not allow the war in the Middle East to be imported here to Germany, onto our streets.”
On Monday, a “report button” for anti-Semitic incidents in sports was presented in Dortmund, which is intended to be recorded across the board. The aim is to provide targeted help to those affected. Reports of anti-Semitic incidents are now possible at “einander1.de/vorfall-melden”.
