ISRAEL have been forced to train in a secret location ahead of their controversial Nations League clash with France this week.
Some 4,000 police, many of them armed, have been drafted in to provide security for a Stade de France crowd of barely 20,000 in Paris.
SAS-style special force RAID officers and up to 6,000 other cops are all scheduled to be on duty for the high-risk game – representing one officer for every three fans inside the ground.
The high-alert security approach was already planned even before last week’s shocking scenes in Amsterdam around Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League game at Ajax.
Disturbing footage showed Israeli football fans being chased through the streets of the Dutch capital by an anti-Semitic mob last Thursday.
This has prompted international concerns over the safety of Jewish fans particularly those watching Israeli-based teams.
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And events in the Netherlands have only ramped up the need for special measures further in wake of rising anti-Semitic bloodshed in Europe.
One of these precautions saw the Israel team being confined to their undisclosed hotel in the Val d’Oise region to the north of the capital.
Constant armed guards were at the base and accompanied the players and staff to their training site on Tuesday.
Authorities demanded the location be kept under wraps and all media activities were cancelled.
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Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said security around the game was of extreme concern for the authorities.
He said: “There’s a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us.
“There will be an anti-terrorist security perimeter around the stadium.”
Israeli security forces, including agents from the Mossad intelligence agency, will also be inside the stadium on Thursday.
Many fans have stayed away with the Israeli government telling supporters to “categorically avoid attending” the match.
Addressing the anticipated low attendance, Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano said: “I can understand why people do not want to come. It’s their choice.
“We will fight on the pitch and aim to win this match.
“This week we saw November 11. I love peace and hope that someday we will achieve it in every country.
“Regardless of our religion or where we come from, we all want peace.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and his prime minister, Michel Barnier, will also attend the match.
Many people have called for the game to be moved to a neutral venue but Bruno Retailleau, France’s Interior Minister, said it was hugely important that the game went ahead in Paris.
He said: “I think that for a symbolic reason we must not yield, we must not give up.
“The RAID has been active since the Israeli team set foot on French soil, and they will be in the stadium.”
The French government say they are determined to push ahead with the match as it will mark the two year anniversary of the 2015 terror attacks.
ISIS thugs killed 130 people on a single night with chilling eruptions even being heard from the Stade de France on the harrowing evening.
French FA chief Philippe Diallo insisted it would have been “unthinkable” for the match to be cancelled.
Israel’s manager Ran Ben Shimon has told the press he and the team feel safe.
France has already answered calls for tightened security around Israeli athletes after the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this year.
They deployed a widely successful “ring of steel” around the Games to ensure safety after several declarations of violence from terror group ISIS and anti-Israel parties.
It became the most guarded Games ever with over 60,000 cops and soldiers, drones, helicopters and a huge increase in AI surveillance all deployed.
Israel’s sporting calendar has been thrown into chaos since the war kicked off last October.
Many of their games have been played at neutral venues due to fears over public safety.
Belgium, who are scheduled to play Israel on Sunday following the France clash, have already made the match be moved to Hungary.
Israeli FA chief Shino Moshe Zuares added: “This is a very complex period for us. But we know what we represent, and we are proud to represent our country.
“The events in Amsterdam only strengthen us, and we will not let hate and ignorance defeat us.
“I am concerned and worried but we will face the situation and emerge stronger.”
Away from the football, another Israeli-linked security fear comes in the form of a pro-Palestinian march.
Thousands are expected to take to the streets of Paris on Wednesday – a day before the football clash – to demonstrate against a controversial pro-Israel gala.
The “Israel is Forever” gala was originally set to be attended by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich but he has since pulled out.
Several controversial figures linked to Israel’s far-Right are expected to show – making life difficult for cops.
Police chief Nuñez spoke on the gala and said: “A gala in a closed place is not a demonstration on the public road, so it is more complicated for a prefect to ban it.
“I considered that there was no risk of disturbing public order but we will be attentive to the comments made and I can potentially take legal action.”
An open letter by seven civil rights groups to the French media reads: “Holding this gala in the French capital constitutes an insult to international law and contempt for the United Nations and for the orders issued by the highest international court.”
A counter-demonstration has also been announced and is expected to attract up to 8,000 people.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitic violence has surged globally.
It has been fuelled by heightened geopolitical tensions and polarising public discourse around the war.
This escalation is marked by an alarming rise in physical attacks, threats, and hate speech targeting Jewish communities.
In Europe, reports of antisemitism have spiked, with attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools, and individuals intensifying.
Countries like Germany and France have seen notable incidents of physical violence and vandalism.
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In Germany, synagogues were firebombed, and Jewish youth sports teams have reported attacks, reflecting a growing climate of fear.
Public spaces associated with Jewish identity, including schools and cemeteries, have also required heightened police protection.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
