Dutch soccer fans adopt Jewish identity

[Digitonomy]

The soccer team in Ajax in the Netherlands has come to be identified by both its own fans, and fans of opposing clubs, as Jews. In spite of the fact that none of the players are Jewish, and the city has only a small Jewish population. Rather bizarre.

A Dutch Soccer Riddle: Jewish Regalia Without Jews
By Craig S. Smith
New York Times
Published: March 28, 2005

…Outside, souvenir stalls sold Israeli flags or flags with the Ajax logo, the head of the fabled Greek warrior, emblazoned inside the star of David. Fans arrived with hats, jackets and scarves embroidered with Hebrew writing. Until recently, the team’s official Web site even featured the ringing tones of Hava Nagila and other Jewish songs that could be downloaded into fans’ mobile phones. Few, if any, of these people are Jewish.

“About thirty years ago, the other teams’ supporters started calling us Jews because there was a history of Jews in Ajax,” explained Fred Harris, a stocky man with brush-cut hair and a thick gold chain around his neck, “so we took it up as a point of pride and now it has become our identity.”

For years, the team’s management supported that unique identity. But over time what seemed to many people like a harmless - if peculiar - custom has taken on a more sinister tone. Fans of Ajax’s biggest rivals began giving the Nazis’ signature straight-arm salute or chanting “Hamas, Hamas!” to provoke Ajax supporters. Ajax games have been marred by shouts of “Jews to the gas!” or simply hissing to simulate the sound of gas escaping…

 

[Franze]

They have jews flags in the stadium, but I don´t know anymore

 

[rastell]

Digitonomy:

For years, the team’s management supported that unique identity. But over time what seemed to many people like a harmless - if peculiar - custom has taken on a more sinister tone. Fans of Ajax’s biggest rivals began giving the Nazis’ signature straight-arm salute or chanting “Hamas, Hamas!” to provoke Ajax supporters. Ajax games have been marred by shouts of “Jews to the gas!” or simply hissing to simulate the sound of gas escaping… QUOTE]

Catholic spectators should put a stop to this. We don’t like attacks by anti-Catholics and we should show the world that we will not put up with any of this evil against other people.

Isn’t this the same country that brought us the legalized euthanasia?