Tag: sports

The West Buries a Genocide – by Making Victims of Israel’s Football Thugs

If the West was really worried about Europe’s Nazi past, it would be better advised to stop stoking an all-too-real new antisemitism: incitement against Arab and Muslim minorities

There has never been a harder time to do political and media analysis than right now. Each day, the western establishment unmoors itself further from reality. Its priorities are so inverted, so obscene, that the most appropriate response is ridicule.

The latest example was the reaction late last week to violent clashes in Amsterdam before and after a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local team Ajax.

The ridiculous framing from western politicians, assisted by mainstream media outlets, was that the visiting Israelis were “hunted down” in what supposedly amounted to a “pogrom” by Dutch street gangs, comprising mainly youths of Arab and Muslim heritage.

According to this official narrative, the violence on Amsterdam’s streets was further proof of a rising tide of antisemitism sweeping Europe and imported from the Middle East. More, the attacks were presented as having disturbing echoes of Europe’s Nazi past.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden claimed the Israeli fans faced “despicable” attacks that “echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted”.

Israel, of course, helpfully stoked this idea by promising “emergency flights” to “rescue” its football fans – seeking to evoke memories of its airlifts in the 1980s of Ethiopian Jews to escape famine and reports of persecution, or possibly of the 1975 airlift of US embassy staff from Saigon.

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Viral video reveals Israeli hooligans attacked Dutch police while instigating Amsterdam unrest

Footage by a teenage YouTuber shows Tel Aviv Maccabi hooligans attacking Dutch police while pelting private homes with stones and hunting victims with metal pipes. The video offers the clearest evidence yet Israeli ultras provoked the violence which gripped the city.

A November 8 video report by a 16-year-old who publishes YouTube reports under the moniker “Bender” provided extensive on-the-ground footage of a mob of armed Tel Aviv Maccabi ultras hunting victims, throwing metal poles at police vehicles, threatening journalists, and even being detained after attacking undercover police officers. 

While Western corporate media, US President Joe Biden and the Dutch government have faithfully echoed the Israeli propaganda narrative that the Maccabi ultras were innocent victims of an antisemitic “pogrom,” no mainstream media outlet has reported to date that the Israeli football hooligans attacked police vehicles and undercover officers, in addition to their assaults on Muslim taxi drivers and other Dutch citizens.

In a statement to The Grayzone, Amsterdam police spokesperson Eline Roovers refused to discuss the documented attacks by Israeli thugs on Dutch police officers and vehicles. “We cannot comment on ongoing investigations, which means we are not able to answer questions related to this now,” Roovers stated, referring us instead to a press conference by Police Chief Peter Holla.

In his statement to the press, Holla acknowledged that “a [Palestinian] flag was taken down by Maccabi supporters,” who also “vandalized a cab.” On Amsterdam’s Dam Square, he said, “a Palestinian flag was set on fire.” 

The Dutch police said 5 people were hospitalized during the Nov. 7 mayhem, and 30 suffered more minor injuries. 

Effectively confirming the Israeli hooligans as the source of the violence in Amsterdam, Holla stated, “peace [returned]” only after Maccabi supporters were “accompanied by the police back to their hotels with the use of buses.”

However, the police chief’s comments evinced heavy political bias in favor of the very element that instigated the violence: “I can imagine that Israelis feel unsafe,” he said. “As mentioned before, their well-being is our top priority.”

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NATO states denounce “anti-Semitism” after Israeli football hooligans riot in Amsterdam

On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, Israeli football hooligans ran riot in Amsterdam, tearing down Palestinian flags, assaulting Arabs, and chanting anti-Gaza slogans. Some clashed with residents of Amsterdam, where a protest was planned against holding a game between the Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam football clubs during the Gaza genocide. Five people were taken to hospital, and yesterday the Israeli Foreign Ministry said all Maccabi fans were accounted for.

But Washington and European governments reacted with a deafening propaganda campaign, denouncing those who clashed with the hooligans as “anti-Semitic.” While no one was killed, far-right Dutch government strongman Geert Wilders is demanding a police crackdown, supposedly to stop a deadly “pogrom” against Jews. As of yesterday, at least 62 people had been detained in a wave of arrests across the city.

This propaganda campaign is a pack of lies, spun by governments complicit in genocide by their support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. While they are outraged that five Israeli football hooligans were taken to hospital with light injuries, they support the mass murder of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden tweeted: “The Antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted. We’ve been in touch with Israeli and Dutch officials and appreciate Dutch authorities’ commitment to holding the perpetrators accountable. We must relentlessly fight anti-Semitism, wherever it emerges.”

European governments made similar comments. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced the clashes as “intolerable” because they “attack us all,” and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof called them a “terrible anti-Semitic attack.” Equating the clashes with the Holocaust, French President Emmanuel Macron “firmly condemned” violence that he claimed recalls “the most horrific hours of history.” Within the Netherlands, the press campaign is largely directed by Wilders himself.

“A pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam,” Wilders claimed in one tweet, adding: “Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews. I will NOT accept that. NEVER. The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens. Never again.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted on charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, said he views the “incident with the utmost gravity.” He demanded “vigorous and swift action” by Dutch authorities.

These hysterical, unsubstantiated claims that the football clashes were anti-Semitic acts, or even deadly pogroms, aim to justify a mass police crackdown. No one was killed, nor have Dutch authorities provided evidence that the hooligans who were punched, or in one case thrown into a river, were targeted because they were Jewish. Rather, there is massive video evidence, backed up by statements of Amsterdam police, that Maccabi hooligans’ assaults on people and property in Amsterdam, together with their pro-genocide chants, provoked an eruption of anger.

There is reason to believe, moreover, that this was a deliberate provocation arranged between Israeli authorities and the far-right Dutch government. In the days before the Maccabi-Ajax game, Dutch newspapers De Telegraaf and Voetbalzone reported that agents of Israel’s Mossad foreign intelligence agency would be traveling among the Maccabi fans, supposedly to protect them from Dutch protesters.

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Overton Window Shifting? Two Democrat Congressmen Come Out Against Men Playing Women’s Sports

The Overton Window appears to have shifted as two Democrat congressmen have now spoken out against “transgender” biological men playing in women’s sports.

Future Forward, a super PAC supporting Harris, found that a pro-Trump ad featuring the comments by “Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne tha God shifted the race 2.7 percentage points in Trump’s favor.

The ad featured the tagline, “Kamala is for they/them. Trump is for you.”

New York Rep. Tom Suozzi and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton appeared to, at least in part, blame Democrats supporting transgender athletes for Kamala Harris’ election night loss.

“The Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left,” Rep. Suozzi told The New York Times. “I don’t want to discriminate against anybody, but I don’t think biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports.”

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Alberta premier introduces bill BANNING the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports

In a press release issued on Oct. 31, Alberta’s ruling United Conservative Party (UCP) introduced Bill 29, titled the “Fairness and Safety in Sports Act.” The proposed legislation intends to limit women’s divisions to “biological females” while proposing co-ed divisions for transgender athletes to participate in sports.

“The proposed Fairness and Safety in Sport Act establishes a balanced approach to protect the integrity of female athletic competitions by ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to compete in biological female-only divisions, while also ensuring transgender athletes are able to meaningfully participate in the sports of their choice,” the press release stated.

Once passed, Bill 29 would apply broadly across Alberta and affect the sports organizations and sporting competitions of school boards, universities and local governments. This legislation seeks to safeguard “fairness and safety” in sports, while promising new regulatory guidance on eligibility for female-only divisions. Regulations under the act will also specify criteria to limit participation to athletes born female, while supporting the formation of additional co-ed divisions. (Related: UN REPORT: Biological female athletes have lost nearly 900 medals to transgender athletes.)

“Through our Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, we are ensuring that athletes can rely on that fairness and safety. At the same time, we are committed to working with our partners to ensure that transgender Albertans will also have meaningful opportunities to participate in the sport of their choice,” Smith added.

The UCP government consulted with sports organizations, educational institutions and experts during the drafting process. Although the legislation is still in development, further details and the exact language of the bill are expected in the coming weeks. Additionally, the proposed act would provide legal liability protections for organizations enforcing the new regulations.

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Buffalo Bills Security Sparks Outrage, Tells Fan He Can’t Wear Trump T-Shirt at Game

A Buffalo Bills fan was confronted by security personnel at Highmark Stadium on Sunday before the team’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

The fan, proudly sporting a navy “Trump 2024” shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Keep America First!” was informed that he could not wear the shirt due to NFL policy prohibiting political attire.

Erie County GOP quickly took to X, expressing outrage over the incident.

“WIDE LEFT! Buffalo Bills security telling a fan he can’t wear a Trump T-shirt at the game? What a joke! If anyone knows this proud Trump supporter, send us a message – we’d love to hook him up with some Trump gear!”

Despite the fan’s insistence that he was exercising his rights in a free country, security personnel remained firm in his stance.

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Trans athletes who competed on women’s teams feel victimized after being featured in Trump’s ads defending women’s sports

As the election nears, the Trump campaign and Republicans across the country have been pushing advertising hammering Democrats for the allowance of biological males on women’s sports teams, taxpayer-funded sex changes for trans-identified prisoners, and other topics related to trans issues.

One trans-identified male, Gabrielle Ludwig, who was featured in an ad on the participation of biological males in women’s sports spoke out, telling The Hill, “I haven’t been able to sleep. I don’t want my family affected. I have granddaughters, daughters who are in college. I only did this because I love to play basketball. That’s all it ever was.” Ludwig played women’s college basketball as a 50-year-old biological male claiming to be female.

The ad in question, which read “no men in girls’ sports,” featured photos and video of Ludwig from the early 2010s when Ludwig played basketball on the women’s team at Mission College in Santa Clara, California. These photos and videos were featured in at least eight other ads targeting Dem incumbent Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Jon Tester of Montana, and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and were paid for by the Republican super PAC the Senate Leadership Fund. Ludwig towered over the female players and was decades older.

Another photo of Ludwig appeared in a Trump campaign ad, showing the then-mid-50s Ludwig playing alongside college-aged females. Ludwig said the ads have put the former athlete back in the spotlight. “I fear for my life, for my family. There are trans people killed for no other reason than because they’re trans. By Trump coming out and using my image, I feel that he’s feeding the fire.”

Ludwig is considering taking legal action against the Trump campaign and the Senate Leadership Fund for unauthorized use of the former athlete’s image, but said, “If I go that route, and it ends up in litigation, my life is going to be splayed. I wish I never lost my anonymity. I wish I never, ever joined a women’s basketball team.”

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New UN Study on “Violence Against Women and Girls” Reveals Female Athletes Have Lost Almost 900 Medals to Trans Opponents

A new study from the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, was recently presented to the UN General Assembly.

The study “Violence against women and girls in sports” shares that more than 600 female athletes have lost to competitors who were born male in a variety of athletic events resulting in female athletes losing almost 900 medals to trans opponents.

The study states, “The Special Rapporteur examines the forms of violence experienced by women and girls in sport, their causes and the perpetrators of this violence, and offers recommendations for better prevention and response to violence against women and girls in sport. The Special Rapporteur received over 100 submissions from relevant stakeholders. She also held expert consultations in which 50 persons participated.”

“According to information received, by 30 March 2024, over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports.”

“The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males.”

The study also points out the obvious biological advantages male athletes have that can positively impact their performance in athletic endeavors which Alsalem states can result in the “loss of fair opportunity” for female competitors and increase the risk of physical violence against women and girls.

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New York high schoolers to stage WALKOUTS in protest of ballot measure that will allow trans athletes to participate in girls’ sports

High school students across New York are planning to walk out of their classrooms on Oct. 24 in protest of a ballot measure that would allow transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sporting events.

New York’s Proposal 1, also known as the “Equal Rights Amendment,” would add language to the New York Bill of Rights to provide that people can’t be denied rights based on their “ethnicity, national origin, age and disability” as well as due to their “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

Campaigners in favor of Proposal 1 are marketing the ballot measure as a pro-abortion measure that would enshrine abortion rights into state law. However, the Coalition to Protect Kids, the main organization that has organized the statewide walkouts, argue that Proposal 1 would not only protect abortion rights but also mandate extreme “trans rights” in New York, including the participation of transgender athletes in girls sports.

The statewide demonstration, dubbed “Walk Off for Fairness Day,” is organized by the Coalition to Protect Kids with support from the Catholic Church, the New York Republican State Committee and the Conservative Party of New York State. (Related: World Athletics bans transgender athletes from competing in female category at international events.)

“Girls are being systematically canceled in this state, and ‘Walk Off for Fairness Day’ will give them a safe opportunity to make their voices heard,” said Coalition spokeswoman Ayesha Kreutz. “So many of these young women are afraid of speaking out, so they’re forced to watch as 50 years of female athletic progress gets washed away by destructive ideologues. Girls are not second-class citizens, so why are they being treated that way?”

Many high school students across New York have spoken out in support of the walkout.

“It’s not right for boys to compete against girls in sports. It’s a huge disadvantage for girls,” said Hannah Pompeo, a 16-year soccer player at Eden High School near Buffalo.

Similarly, Millie McCormack, a dancer from Somers High School, stated that she and her sister would join the protest because they believe transgender athletes threaten the fairness of girls’ sports. “I don’t think it’s right for men to be in our safe spaces. We worked hard for places on our teams. Boys have physical advantages we don’t have.”

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WAR ON WOMEN: Transgender (Bio Male) College Volleyball Player Viciously Smashes Ball Off Female Opponent’s Face, Sending Her Crumbling to the Floor

The war on American female sports continues unabated as a controversial trans volleyball player sent a vicious spike straight off her female opponent’s face this week.

As The Daily Mail reported, the incident occurred during a volleyball match between the San Diego State Aztecs and the San Jose State Spartans on Thursday. The Spartans, who are led by 6-foot-1 biological male Blaire Fleming, lost the first set and 22-12 in the second when the terrifying scene unfolded.

As one can see in the video below, Fleming was set up by teammate Brooke Slusser before rocketing a spike off the face of San Diego State’s Keira Herron. The young woman immediately fell to the floor.

“Keira Herron has some pink in her hair and her face is starting to look like she’s matching that as obviously she took the contact,” one of the announcers observed.

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