Dr. Ashraf Badr: Israeli fans tried to send a racist message that reflects the colonial mentality and confirms their superiority over others

Firas Yaghi: Racism is a fundamental issue rooted in Israeli society, and there are attempts to export it to Europe, but they have failed.

Suleiman Basharat: The Amsterdam incident is an indication that Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territories are producing increasing effects in the arenas of the world

Dr. Abdul Majeed Suwailem: The Amsterdam incident reflects the shaky psychological state that Israeli society is experiencing in light of the repercussions of October 7

Adnan Al-Sabah: The world's silence on Israel's crimes and the support of America and its allies have contributed to the consolidation of its racial superiority mentality

Samir Anabtawi: Israeli society is now trying to forcefully re-impose its narrative after it collapsed due to the ongoing war of extermination on Gaza

The recent Amsterdam incident, which involved violence and provocation by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, highlights the effects of Israeli racism and criminality, which appear to be spreading to Europe.

In exclusive interviews with “I”, writers and political analysts confirm that the racist practices carried out by the Israeli fans reflect an ingrained colonial mentality, as their actions, including raising anti-Arab slogans and removing the Palestinian flag, are part of a hate speech rooted in Israeli society, based on a vision that presents Israelis as the vanguard of Europe in the face of “Eastern backwardness”, a message that is in line with the political discourse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who exploits this narrative to bolster European support.

The writers and analysts assert that the Israeli strategy based on violence and discrimination no longer convinces international communities, and that the world has begun to reject the contradiction between Israel’s declared values and its practices on the ground, as demonstrated by the masses supporting the Palestinians by confronting those Israelis in Amsterdam. They also pointed out that Israeli racism, which is clearly evident at home and exported abroad, is facing major challenges today, with a gradual shift in international positions and increasing popular pressure to hold Israel accountable for its practices.

Behaviors rooted in the culture of Israeli society

Dr. Ashraf Badr, a writer, political analyst and specialist in Israeli affairs, believes that any colonial movement carries racist ideas at its core, and that the behavior of the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans during their mission to Amsterdam reflects this colonial mentality.

Badr points out that the actions of these fans, which included bragging about the violence and crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and chanting anti-Arab slogans, are rooted in the culture of Israeli settler society.

This culture, according to Bader, is not new, but rather predates the current war, as it has always included racist chants, such as “death to Arabs,” as part of the hate speech that characterizes Israeli society.

Badr confirms that the message that the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans tried to send through their racist chants and removing the Palestinian flag from a building in Amsterdam, carries self-importance and superiority over others, as the Israelis view themselves as the vanguard of the “European nation” in their battle against what they consider “Eastern obscurantism.”

Badr points out that this trend is not far from the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is based on a narrative that begs for European support by presenting Israel as a bulwark against the supposed “barbarism” in the Middle East, against the obscurantism and backwardness of the East.

These supremacist concepts, according to Bader, are embodied in the behavior of individuals within the Israeli settler society and show the depth of the colonial mentality.

Official European systems under the influence of Zionist lobbies

Regarding the European position, Badr confirms that the official systems in Europe are still under the strong influence of the Zionist lobbies, which enjoy wide influence that varies in intensity from one country to another.

However, Bader believes that there is a gradual change in European public opinion, as the increasing demonstrations in European capitals indicate a shift in popular attitudes towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

However, Badr points out that this change has not yet been reflected in radical government policies, while Badr believes that steps such as some countries recognizing the State of Palestine may occur in the future if popular pressure and public opinion in those countries continue.

As for the Arab and Islamic communities in Europe, Badr points out that they still face constant accusations from official political systems, as a result of the influence of the Zionist lobby.

However, Badr stresses that these communities were not effective enough in the past, due to their lack of institutional organization similar to that of the Zionist lobbies.

But Badr expresses his hope that these communities will be able to strengthen their collective action, which may allow them to confront the fierce Zionist attack more effectively in the future.

A racist view that finds its depth in the extreme Israeli right

Writer and political analyst Firas Yaghi believes that racism is a fundamental issue rooted in Israeli society, which raises its generations as “the most superior of human beings,” reinforcing the idea that non-Jews are viewed as inferior and of lesser value.

Yaghi explains that this view finds its depth in the prevailing mentality of the extreme Israeli right, especially in the current government with its strict religious tendencies. This government believes that it has the right to act with absolute freedom, thereby ignoring international and humanitarian laws.

He confirms that this racist mentality was clearly evident recently in demonstrations held in Amsterdam, where slogans were chanted that exceeded all limits of humanity and morality. In these demonstrations, some spoke openly about the absence of schools in Gaza due to the deliberate killing of children, a statement that expresses shocking intellectual cruelty.

Yaghi explains that these movements are not merely a reflection of a certain policy, but rather show a widespread pattern within Israel, reflecting the superior view of Israeli society towards others, especially the Palestinians.

Despite these Israeli efforts to export racism to Europe, Yaghi points out that these attempts have failed, citing the Amsterdam demonstrations that faced strong opposition from Arab and Islamic communities there.

Yaghi asserts that the European street in general shows increasing sympathy for the Palestinian cause, despite the European governments’ support for Israel. This contradiction between the positions of governments and public opinion becomes more apparent with the continuation of the occupation’s crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, which reinforces popular hostility towards Israel.

Yaghi stresses that the Israeli racists and anarchists, who seek to impose their hegemony and vision, face dire consequences on the international scene, referring to the statements of the Amsterdam Police Director, who described the clashes between Israeli demonstrators and their opponents from Arab and Islamic communities as “dangerous” and ringing the alarm bell.

Yaghi explains that Europeans are very sensitive to the concepts of racism and human rights, and are very sensitive to any violations in this area, which poses a major challenge to the Israelis who seek to export their extremist ideology.

Yaghi asserts that the Israeli political system, which is dominated by the Zionist movement, is aware of the danger of these moves. However, Israel continues to try to exploit the historical racism against Jews in Europe to push Western political systems to support it, realizing that the Europeans fear the return of historical waves of hostility against Jews to their countries.

But this governmental support, according to Yaghi, clashes with the fact that European public opinion, especially in countries such as Spain, Norway, Ireland and Belgium, has begun to change in favour of the Palestinians.

New European positions characterized by criticism of Israel

Yaghi believes that there are new European positions characterised by more severe criticism of Israel, which contributes to the escalation of its international isolation.

Yaghi points out that one of the most prominent examples of international transformations is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is achieving great successes in Europe and America, and that Israeli governments and their allies in the West are trying to confront this movement by all means, including passing laws to criminalize BDS activities.

Yaghi explains that Israel is aware of the danger of changing European public opinion and is trying to contain it by imposing strict restrictions, stressing that racist Israeli campaigns find clear expression inside Israel, through groups such as “La Familia,” a racist organization composed of fans of the soccer team “Beitar Jerusalem.”

This group, according to Yagi, practices violence against Palestinians in Jerusalem and is allied with other racist groups in the West Bank.

Yaghi stresses that these organizations pose a major threat to the Palestinians, and work to promote chaos and violence against them.

Yaghi highlights the importance of the Palestinian role in confronting these movements, pointing out that the Palestinian movement in Europe is currently taking place thanks to the efforts of the Arab and Islamic communities without sufficient support from the official Palestinian political system.

Call on the PLO to rebuild its relations with Arab and Islamic communities

Yaghi calls on the Palestine Liberation Organization to rebuild its relations with these communities and to strengthen communication with European parties and movements that oppose Zionism and criticize Western and American policies.

Yaghi believes that the PLO should return to its previous approach before the Oslo Accords in 1993, so that it would be more independent in its international movements.

Yaghi praises some of the Palestinian embassies that play an active role, such as the embassy in London, led by Ambassador Hussam Zomlot, who works in close coordination with British popular efforts to confront Israeli racism.

But Yaghi stresses that this effort must be part of a comprehensive plan that is circulated to all Palestinian embassies around the world.

This plan, according to Yaghi, must reconnect with Arab and Islamic communities, strengthen the Palestinian presence in the international arena to confront Zionist propaganda, and defend the rights of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli racism.

The Israeli narrative is beginning to face challenges on the global level

Writer and political analyst Suleiman Basharat believes that the events witnessed in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, are an indication that Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territories are producing increasing effects in the arenas of the world, which people can no longer tolerate. The Amsterdam incident came as a response to the racism that the fans of the “Maccabi Tel Aviv” team tried to transmit there.

Basharat explains that since the Nakba in 1948, Israel has relied on a strategy of violence, killing and destruction, along with a methodology of denial of the other, racism and the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians, promoting its actions as legitimate self-defense. This Israeli narrative, which sought to portray the Palestinians as if they did not deserve life, was accompanied by claims of Jewish racial superiority, in contrast to calls to deprive Arabs and Palestinians of their basic rights.

Basharat points out that the Israeli narrative has begun to face challenges at the global level, as international communities no longer easily accept Israeli explanations, but have begun to clearly see the gap between the values and principles that Israel claims, and its practices on the ground.

He stresses that these contradictions have contributed to the accumulation of a state of anger and resentment among peoples and societies around the world, and that it is no longer possible to ignore Israel's violations, especially in light of the increasing calls from human rights and international organizations to hold war criminals accountable.

However, Basharat points out that Israel has not actually been held accountable, which has sparked global popular outrage not only over the Palestinian issue, but also over US and Israeli policies that have led to decades of international oppression and persecution.

Gaza War: A Critical Turning Point in Changing the World's View of Israel

Basharat believes that the current war on Gaza represents a decisive turning point in the world’s view of Israel as an entity that transcends human rights principles. At the beginning of this war, the UN Secretary-General declared that international humanitarian law is being put to a real test.

Therefore, Basharat believes that the war will produce global societal segments that oppose Israeli and American policies, and these groups will not wait for justice in its traditional form, but will begin to express their positions through various means, including protests and marches, the use of the media, and even direct confrontation if the opportunity arises.

Basharat highlights the incident of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports team, where its fans tried to humiliate the Palestinian flag, which has gone beyond being a mere symbol of the Palestinians to become a symbol of global liberation. These provocative attempts led to widespread reactions, and these reactions are expected to double as the horrific facts regarding the destruction and genocide practiced by the Israeli occupation in Gaza are revealed.

He points out that Israel may find itself constrained in the future, due to the growing international resentment against its practices.

Basharat highlights Israel's rapid efforts to shift attention from objections to its policies after the Amsterdam incident to accusations of anti-Semitism. In an attempt to distort the global movement rejecting it, it resorted to accusing groups, individuals and the Hamas movement, with the aim of diverting attention from the real criticism.

This shift, according to Basharat, reveals the extent of the embarrassment that Israel is facing as a result of the increasing popular solidarity with the Palestinians, while Basharat explains that these shifts will not be short-term, but will leave an impact in the medium and long term.

Basharat says: It is true that European political systems still support Israel, but they will find themselves in confrontation with their societies that reject colonial policies and racial discrimination.

These popular pressures, in Basharat's opinion, will force regimes to take more balanced positions, or at least push them to make gradual changes.

Basharat compares the current situation with the former apartheid regime in South Africa, which collapsed under pressure from popular and international movements.

Basharat believes that the historical model of South Africa may be repeated in the context of the Palestinian issue, when global communities impose a new balance of justice that confronts Israeli and American policies towards human rights.

Israeli society is now displaying behaviors characterized by organized fascism.

Writer and political analyst, Dr. Abdul Majeed Suwailem, describes the Amsterdam incident as reflecting the shaky psychological state that Israeli society is experiencing in light of the repercussions of October 7.

Suwailem explains that this society, which is plagued by megalomania, arrogance and racism, has begun to display behaviours characterised by organised fascism, with groups turning into gangs that practice violence against any party they consider an enemy.

Suwailem believes that the Israelis are suffering from a great shock after October 7, which they have not been able to overcome until now, especially with the continued attacks on them, which makes them feel helpless and defeated.

Suwailem describes the Israelis’ feelings of complete inability to achieve the victory they had previously boasted about, noting that this moral defeat stimulates aggressive behavior directed against others, even in simple sporting events.

Israeli society, according to Suwailem, reflects a state of psychological chaos and instability, and is always looking for justifications for its behavior, including the claim that the world is hostile to them due to anti-Semitism, without asking themselves why the people’s reactions are escalating against them and against Zionist fascism.

Suwailem points out that the Israelis are reinforcing their sense of superiority at the expense of others, ignoring the real question: why is the world mobilizing peoples against Zionism?

In a comparison with European fascism, Suwailem says that Israeli society has shown clear copies of the behavior of German and Italian fascism, where violence becomes a normal pattern, stressing that this behavior expresses a state of moral decadence.

He points to Israel's attempts to justify its aggressive behavior and distort the facts, as happened in Amsterdam, when the Israelis tried to portray things as if they were the victims, even though they were the aggressors.

Suwailem attributes these lies to the confusion of Israeli society, which lives in constant anxiety about threats and always thinks that the world should respect its privacy, even if that leads to accusing those who criticize it of anti-Semitism.

Suwailem asserts that Europeans no longer see Zionism and Israel as a threat to the Palestinians only, but also to world peace, and this global understanding is increasing despite the systematic support of official European regimes for Israel, which Suwailem described as being subject to the Zionist movement and the United States, and content with slogans of human rights without real action to change this support.

Careful organization of Arab and Islamic communities in Europe

On the other hand, Suwailem praises the role of the Arab, Islamic and Palestinian communities in Europe, pointing to their precise organization and their ability to support the Palestinian cause in a brilliant and great way.

Suwailem confirms that these communities have provided a lot of support to the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, noting that their role was greater than many expected.

Suwailem believes that it is not necessary to demand more support from these communities, but it is enough for them to continue their firm positions against the increasing racism and fascism in Europe.

Suwailem asserts that the European regimes will remain allies of Israel, whatever the consequences. These regimes only offer honeyed statements about peace and human rights, but they do everything possible to keep the Middle East region in a state of instability, as long as it serves Israel.

Suwailem believes that official European support for Israel maintains global tension and hinders any real opportunity to achieve peace.

Israeli Hegemonic Messages to the World

Writer and political analyst Adnan Al-Sabah believes that in the context of the controversial international stance towards Israeli crimes against the Palestinians and the Lebanese, the global silence and the continued support from the United States and its allies have contributed to the consolidation of the mentality of racial superiority among the Israelis, which demonstrated the attempts at this superiority in the Amsterdam incident.

Al-Sabah points out that Israel considers itself the supreme race, and holds the belief that it possesses a divine mandate that places it above the rest of humanity, where all those outside the circle of this superiority are viewed as having been created only to serve its interests, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.

Al-Sabah points out that the unlimited international support, which includes military, political and diplomatic support, reinforces this Israeli sense of superiority. Instead of confronting its practices with firm decisions or raising a “red card” to stop the violations, the international community continues to remain silent, which encourages Israel to continue its aggressive policies.

Al-Sabah highlights that what is happening in Palestine and Lebanon is a direct result of this global collusion, which makes the Israelis believe that they have the right to carry out their actions without accountability or oversight. This belief is not limited to the Palestinian people, but extends to include all peoples, as if the Israelis are the masters of the earth.

Al-Sabah cites what happened in the Netherlands as an example of the messages of dominance that Israel sends to the world, as in the scenes of protests in Europe, the Israeli message is clear: We are your masters, and you must submit to our will and stop objecting. They do not tolerate any dissenting voice, and they view objection to their policies as objection to divine will.

Al-Sabah believes that these Israeli convictions cannot be curbed by silence or by providing support, but rather require a real and frank confrontation from the international community, as the world’s silence on what is happening in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon has pushed Israel to feel superior to everyone.

Al-Sabah discusses the impact of this racist mentality on international relations, stressing that the United States and Europe will continue to support Israel, because the world is now governed by the logic of economic and political interests, not human values and principles.

An alliance between money, knowledge and weapons

Al-Sabah stresses that in an era known as the “era of the knowledge economy,” international laws and ethics no longer have any real value, as interests dominate global decisions, and knowledge, which is considered the new weapon, has become a tool in the hands of the powers that control money and weapons, making this era the most dangerous period in history.

Al-Sabah believes that this alliance between money, knowledge and weapons heralds a global catastrophe that threatens all human values.

Al-Sabah asserts that control over knowledge has transformed the world into a scene where imperialism and modern technologies intersect, undermining borders and nation-states, and even threatening the existence of religions.

Al-Sabah believes that these powers see religion as a tool for achieving hegemony, and that the real religion for them is the religion of power and money represented by the United States and global Zionism.

Al-Sabah also criticizes the Arab position, pointing out that some Arab elites have become subject to the politics of interests. Instead of defending the issues of freedom and democracy, loyalty has become to money and gains, which has contributed to the decline of the national and moral sense among some Arab leaders.

He stresses that this dangerous equation threatens the Arab entity, and makes it necessary to confront this global challenge before it is too late.

Declining European public support for traditional Israeli narrative

Writer and political analyst Samer Anabtawi confirms that in light of the escalation of events, the intensification of the war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing Israeli crimes, Israeli society has become clearly aware of the change in Israel’s image and the decline in popular support in many European countries for the traditional Israeli narrative.

He points out that European societies have begun to adopt the Palestinian narrative more broadly, after realizing that Israel, which had portrayed itself as a democratic state facing threats from “terrorist groups,” is in fact carrying out systematic and widespread genocide against Palestinian civilians, including killing children, targeting women, and striking vital facilities such as hospitals.

This shift in the European peoples’ view that Israel is practicing genocide has made Israelis feel angry and frustrated, as Anbatawi asserts that Israeli society is now trying to forcefully reimpose its narrative after it fell following the war of genocide on the Gaza Strip, through violent and biased protest actions, such as removing Palestinian flags and promoting violence.

These actions, according to Anabtawi, reflect a state of descent into chaos and violence, in a desperate attempt by the Israelis to impose their vision, but they face clear resistance from European societies that stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Anbatawi points out that the Israeli government and the Israeli Mossad may be behind these extremist movements by Israelis in Europe, with the aim of showing life there as difficult and unsafe for Israelis, which may contribute to reducing the phenomenon of reverse migration sought by hundreds of thousands of Israelis who aspire to move to Europe to escape the deteriorating conditions in Israel.

However, Anbatawi points out that these actions may extend to affect the internal European situation, as waves of tension and rioting may spread to other European cities, which may force European countries to take strict measures related to licensing demonstrations and restricting them for security reasons.

He points out that the confrontation between Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in the Netherlands showed a dangerous side of this conflict. In his opinion, the Dutch police made a mistake when they allowed pro-Israel marches to be held while at the same time preventing counter-pro-Palestinian marches, which sparked further anger among supporters of the Palestinian cause and led to violent confrontations.

These confrontations, according to Anabtawi, have angered the European authorities, who are now seeking to stop these disturbances amid fears that they will spread to other places. They may take measures by restricting the freedom to demonstrate and implementing strict security measures.

In a related context, Anabtawi sheds light on the role of Arab and Islamic communities in Europe, which have come to play an important role in influencing public opinion, including election results, as happened in the United States. These communities, which have realized the falsehood of the Israeli narrative, are currently seeking to organize their ranks and unify their efforts to confront racist Israeli movements and refute Israeli propaganda.

It is believed that the war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, with all its brutality and destruction, has helped unite the Islamic and Arab communities in Europe and made them more resilient in confronting attempts to distort the facts, especially amid fears of expanding the Israeli attack in the region and perhaps Europe.

Anbatawi asserts that Israel, despite all its attempts supported by the Zionist movement and the United States, is finding it increasingly difficult to improve its image before the world. The crimes committed in Gaza and other occupied territories have become clear and cannot be hidden, which has led to the collapse of the Israeli narrative that it has promoted for decades as the “victim.”

Anbatawi also believes that this shift may not be temporary, but rather represents a long-term change in the world’s view of Israel, with the conviction deepening that it is a state based on policies of genocide and racism.