A Nations League football match between France and Israel will go ahead as planned in Paris next week despite the clashes that erupted in Amsterdam following a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, the French interior minister said on Friday.
The game at the Stade de France on Thursday聽has been identified as a potential flashpoint but Bruno Retailleau said France would not 鈥榖ack down鈥�.
鈥楽ome are calling for the France-Israel match to be relocated. I do not accept this,鈥� Retailleau wrote on X.聽
鈥楩rance is not backing down because that would amount to giving up in the face of threats of violence and anti-Semitism,鈥� he added.
Retailleau said he had asked Paris police chief Laurent Nunez to take the necessary security measures for the match.
A lawmaker from Marine Le Pen鈥檚 National Rally (RN) party, Julien Odoul, on Thursday suggested moving the match to the island of Corsica.
Violence flared in Amsterdam after a Europa League match on Thursday between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Israeli, Dutch and European leaders on Friday condemned 鈥榓nti-Semitic鈥� clashes and Israel sent rescue planes for its citizens.
The mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema said the violence represented an 鈥榚xplosion鈥� of anti-Semitism that has 鈥榥ot been seen in a long time鈥�, describing 鈥榟it and run鈥� attacks on Maccabi supporters by 鈥榟ooligans on scooters鈥�.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
