Greek fans burn Israeli flag at basketball game against Israeli team

·

An Israeli flag was set on fire during a Basketball Champions League game between a Greek team, AEK, and an Israeli team, Hapoel Jerusalem, on Wednesday, according to Ynet.

AEK fans in Athens, also waved Palestinian and Hezbollah flags during the game and shone lasers in the eyes of Israeli fans, the report states.

According to the report, they also held up pictures of Marwan Barghouti who Israeli authorities have deemed a terrorist for his involvement as a leader of the First and Second Intifadas.

Hapoel fans who were at the game, described the conduct of the Athens supporters as horrifying.

“It hurts seeing your country’s flag being burned in front of your very eyes, and even though the way they acted was horrifying, I felt proud to have 400 Israeli fans with me who cheered and rooted like there were thousands of us,” said a witness.

Hapoel Jerusalem also released a statement addressing the incident.

“We’ve notified the BCL and there is no place for these types of acts at a sport arena. We are working with FIBA authorities on this matter. We want to acknowledge the 400 fans who accompanied the team to the game.”

According to the report, the Basketball Champions League said it will launch disciplinary proceedings against AEK Athens regarding the incident.

Another Hapoel Jerusalem fan who was present at the game said Greek police officers and security were protecting the Israeli fans. Despite the violations there was no physical confrontation.

Other Hapoel supporters said the game’s atmosphere was extremely hostile.

“It’s a disgrace to basketball, there’s no place for such behaviour, it was shameful seeing our flag burned, they should be mortified with themselves,” said an Israeli fan.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Woman who confessed to killing infants moved to high-security Korydallos prison

Eirini Mourtzoukou, the 25-year-old woman who has confessed to killing at least three infants, has been transferred to Korydallos Prison.

GOCNSW youth lead heartfelt farewell to Greek Consul General in Sydney

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW hosted a special farewell reception for the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Yannis Mallikourtis.

From Athens with purpose: Reflections on the Global Summit of Hellenic Lawyers 2025

As the Global Summit of Hellenic Lawyers 2025 drew to a close, it did so against the majestic backdrop of Athens.

Honouring Cyprus’ martyrs: Melbourne remembers the sacrifice of July 9, 1821

A hierarchical memorial service was held on Sunday, July 13, at the Holy Church of the Presentation of the Theotokos in North Balwyn.

Melbourne’s Greek community pays emotional tribute to the ‘Pontian Eagle’ Peter Jasonides

On a cold Friday night, a full hall at Alphington Grammar’s Lyceum brought warmth to those gathered to honour the life of Peter Jasonides.

You May Also Like

Alex Levonis on his struggle to secure housing amid Victoria’s rental crisis

Alex Levonis has revealed his struggle to secure a suitable living place amid Victoria's rental housing crisis.

Sophia, the first robot with a passport, to attend conference in Greece

The first robot in the world with a passport, Sophia the robot, will attend a breakaway panel on "Artificial Intelligence & Ethics."

Paul Nicolaou opposes changes to Sydney’s iconic NYE fireworks

City of Sydney councillors voted to scale back New Year’s Eve fireworks for environmentally friendly reasons in the war on carbon emissions.