Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper) -The Mayor of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, has banned the playing of the Europa League game between Union Saint-Gilloise (USG) and Hapoel Be’er Sheva from Israel based on the grounds of safety concerns due to the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza and possible demonstrations. This was revealed at a meeting at Leuven City Council held early September 2026 and is valid whether the game is played with closed doors or not.
The venue in question is Den Dreef stadium, which USG uses for European home games because its Brussels ground does not meet UEFA standards. By refusing to host the Israeli side, Ridouani has placed the Brussels-based club in a logistical and political bind, while triggering a wider debate over security, discrimination and antisemitism in Belgium.
What are the key facts of the ban?
The game which has sparked off the debate will be played on 22 October 2026, and it is a UEFA Europa League league round match between Union Saint-Gilloise and Hapoel Be’er Sheva. The move was done by Ridouani who belongs to the Flemish Socialist party Vooruit. He made this announcement while he was serving as the mayor of Leuven – a university town situated east of Brussels, which usually hosts USG’s European nights. The reason why Ridouani made the announcement is related to public safety. The officials of the city say that they cannot assure security during the game because of tensions regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, and also there is a possibility of demonstrations from both sides.
How have Belgian Jewish organisations reacted?
The Belgian Jewish organizations have been quick to respond, stating that it goes beyond a mere matter of security. According to the Coordination Committee of Jewish Organizations of Belgium (CCOJB), the arguments made by the mayor do not suffice and are therefore considered “irresponsible,” since they place the responsibility of providing security on someone else, while the mayor should be responsible for doing so. Despite “there being no evidence to support this claim,” it is believed that the reason behind this is “hatred towards Israel.”
The Forum of Jewish Organizations (FJO), the main Flemish-region Jewish umbrella body, warned that authorities could have simply banned spectators instead of scrapping the match entirely. In a statement, the FJO said:
“Security must be taken seriously. But when an Israeli team is barred out of fear of protest or unrest, the question arises where security ends and exclusion begins.”
It added:
“When Israelis are barred because of their nationality or their government’s policies, this takes on a disturbing antisemitic undertone.”
What is the mayor’s position and past practice?
In an interview with Belgian news outlet VRT, Ridouani has repeatedly stated that his decision is non-political and non-antisemitic in nature and only about safety concerns. He says that “they could not guarantee the security for the match,” as the line is drawn when there is an Israeli team at stake, in accordance with his past policy. In particular, he refers to the case when he refused to allow the national teams of Belgium to play Israel in Leuven. In 2024, the mayor of Brussels refused to organize a UEFA Nations League match involving the men’s team of Belgium against Israel due to the threat of mass demonstrations; as a result, this match was held in Debrecen, Hungary, without any audience. Ridouani has also stated that he refused to allow the women’s team of Belgium, known as Red Flames, to play Israel in Leuven.
“Union is welcome here, but in this specific case, it’s an Israeli team, and I’m consistent on this issue,”
Ridouani said, according to local reports, adding that he previously refused to host Belgium’s national teams playing Israel in Leuven. For him, the Hapoel Be’er Sheva decision is an extension of a policy he has applied to both club and international football.
How is Union Saint-Gilloise responding?
Union Saint-Gilloise finds itself caught up in a diplomatic and sporting conflict which it did not start. The club stated it had “been made aware of the decision” and “is currently in discussion with all concerned parties in order to find a solution.” The club will keep its fans informed as soon as the situation clarifies itself. The problem faced by USG is structural; its own stadium in Brussels does not satisfy UEFA’s criteria for hosting European games, and thus it uses Den Dreef in Leuven as its “home” ground for playing its European games. The mayor’s decision means the club will have to look for an exception, another venue in Belgium which meets UEFA criteria, or even play the game outside of Belgium.
