Italy fans turn their backs on Israel’s national anthem before Nations League match in Hungary

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A group of about 50 Italian fans dressed all in black turned their backs on the team during the Israeli national anthem in apparent protest before a Nations League match in neutral Hungary on Monday.

The Italian fans also held up an Italian flag with the word “Liberta” (freedom). Other banners held by the “Ultra” supporters featured black slashes.

Because of the conflict with Hamas, Israel has moved its home games to Hungary.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has long promoted Hungary as the safest country in Europe for Jews. Orbán has banned Palestinian solidarity protests because they pose a threat to public safety.

The same group of Italian fans who turned their backs during the national anthem also chanted against The Italian Antifa activist Ilaria Salis in the first half of the year, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported. Salis was released from house arrest in Budapest in June after being charged with allegedly assaulting far-right protesters.

Salis was released after being elected as a new member of the European Parliament for the Italian Alliance of Greens and the Left.

Salis became a sensitive political issue in Italy after images emerged showing her handcuffed and shackled in a Hungarian courtroom where she was on trial.

The Israel-Italy match was played at the Bozsik Arena in Budapest, while Belgium’s 3-1 victory over Israel on Friday was played in Debrecen, Hungary. Friday’s match was a home game for Belgium, but the Belgian Football Association said in July that “no local authority in Belgium considers it possible” to host a match against Israel for security reasons.

Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on October 14. However, Udine’s city council has not approved the match and a pro-Palestinian demonstration is planned in the northern city on the same day.

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AP Football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer