Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Brussels declines to host Belgium-Israel Nations League game in September due to Gaza war protest threats, seeking alternative venue amid security concerns.
The city of Brussels, famous as a major seat for the EU and NATO, has declined to host an upcoming Nations League game between Israel and Belgium in September due to a threat of demonstrations over the Gaza war, city authorities stated.
Belgium is in Group A2 of the UEFA Nations League along with France, Italy and Israel. The City of Brussels acquired a request from the Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB) to host a home contest between Belgium and Israel on September 6.
Why Did Brussels Refuse to Host Belgium-Israel Football Match?
Brussels authorities have been in discussions for months with the federal government, police forces, and the KBVB, to consider the possibility of hosting the match at the King Baudouin Stadium. City authorities reported that “Given the dramatic situation in the Middle East, the Board of Mayor and Councilors of the City of Brussels believes it impossible to organize a high-risk match on its territory.”
“The Red Devils’ matches have always been moments of unity and togetherness. The humanitarian and security situation in Gaza and its repercussions force the (city) to inform the URBSFA (Belgian Football Federation) that it is not possible to organize this match at the Stade Roi Baudouin,” Brussels’ first alderman Benoit Hellings said.
Anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests have repeatedly taken place in the Belgian capital since the start of the war in Gaza. The URBSFA said it would have assumed if the match at the King Baudouin Stadium took place behind closed doors, but deeply lamented that Brussels has refused to host the game at all.
The federation expressed it was in contact with several Belgian cities and the security services about discovering an alternative venue, according to France 24. The city of Louvain has reportedly already stated it would not host the match either. A spokesman for the Israeli football federation, Shlomi Barzel, said: “This is a matter concerning Belgium, it’s not our problem.”
Brussels’ decision follows a similar statement by the city of Lodz in Poland, which also noted security concerns when expressing it would not host games for the Israeli team Maccabi Haifa for its matches in the third-tier UEFA Europa Conference League.Â
What Steps Is FIFA Taking Regarding Israeli Team Participation?
Meanwhile, the world’s governing soccer body FIFA has been working to respond to a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from the contest. FIFA said it required an expert analysis on whether Israel’s activities breach the governing body’s regulations. The organization has been blamed of acting quickly to ban Russian teams from competitions over the Ukraine conflict.
