โIsraeliโ football club fans chant โAllahu Akbarโ during match, turn their backs during anthem
Note: AI technology was used to generate this articleโs audio.
Fans of Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, a football club described as “Arab Israeli”, chanted “Allahu Akbar” during their Liga Leumit match against Bnei Yehuda on Friday, November 6 at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv’s Hatikva neighborhood.
Video footage circulating on social media and shared by outlets shows groups of spectators near the pitch making the call while an ‘Israeli’ flag and a “7.10 Never Forgive” banner were visible on the railing.
๐จ๐ฎ๐ฑ | MISERABLES: Aficionados del Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, ciudadanos árabes de Israel, corearon «Allahu Akbar» frente a una bandera israelí y una pancarta con el lema «7.10 Never Forgive» durante el partido contra el Bnei Yehuda. Además, dieron la espalda al terreno de juego durante la interpretación del himno nacional.
— La Derecha Diario Israel (@DerechaDiarioIS) November 11, 2026
The same supporters stood with their backs to the field during the playing of ‘Israel’s’ anthem, according to reports from C14 and JNS.
The gesture and chants drew sharp criticism online and in Hebrew media, with some describing the actions as a public show of disrespect toward “national symbols by citizens of the state.”
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth is based in Nazareth and fields a predominantly Arab roster and fan base.
ืืืื ืช ืืฉืจืื: ืืืืื ืืื ื ืฆืจืช ืืคื ืื ืืช ืืื ืืืืจืฉ ืืืื ืืืื ืื. ืื ืื ืฉืื ืืืฉืืื ืขื ืืฉืจืื. ืืื ืฉืขืืื ืืืืืื. https://t.co/0bQeaSJvOR
— ืื ืื ืืื Yinon Magal (@YinonMagal) November 8, 2026
Tensions between the two sets of supporters were already elevated.
Before kickoff and during the match, Bnei Yehuda fans directed racist chants including “death to the Arabs” toward the visiting supporters, according to Arabic-language reports from Radio Nas.
Objects were thrown between the stands around the 20th minute, and police detained a young Ahi Nazareth fan found carrying a flare and a screwdriver prior to the game.
On the pitch, Bnei Yehuda won 2-1.
José Hugo Gonçalves Flores opened the scoring in the 15th minute.
Mohamed Sabah equalized for Ahi Nazareth in the 61st or 62nd minute after a goalkeeping error, before Stav Nachmani restored the home side’s lead four minutes later.
The result kept Bnei Yehuda near the top of the second-tier table.
Police focused on containing the physical confrontations and the pre-match detention.
