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Italian football fans turn their backs on Israel's national anthem at UEFA matches
The Israeli national soccer team is playing in the 2024-2025 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Nations League amid tensions due to the war in the Gaza Strip.
During the Nations League group stage home match against Italy held in Budapest, Hungary on the 9th (local time), an incident occurred where about 50 Italian away fans turned their backs when the Israeli national anthem was played.
The Italian flag they unfurled had the word 'Liberta' (freedom) written in black letters.
The Associated Press reported this on the same day, interpreting it as "a clear sign of protest against the war in the Gaza Strip in Palestine."
The match is an Israeli home game, but Hungary, which has close ties with Israel due to the Gaza war, was chosen as the venue. This is because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has sided with Israel by banning pro-Palestinian demonstrations on grounds that they pose a threat to public safety.
Israel's performance also faced challenges elsewhere in Europe.
The match against Belgium on the 6th was held in Debrecen, Hungary. This match was Belgium's home game, but Belgium decided to hold the match in a neutral country for security reasons.
"No local authority in Belgium considers it possible to hold a match against Israel," the Belgian Football Federation said.
Italy will play Israel at home in Udine in the northeast on the 14th of next month.
However, it is uncertain whether the match will actually take place as the Udine city council has not approved the match. Pro-Palestinian protests are expected in Udine on the day of the match, the Associated Press reported.
Some ultra-fans of Italian football, known as 'ultras', are notorious for violence, racism and anti-Semitism.
Last March, during the 'Rome derby' between Lazio and AS Roma held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, a fan was pictured wearing a Lazio shirt with the name 'Hitlerson' (Hitler's son) and the number 88 on it, causing a huge stir on social media.