British Parliamentarian Urges Countries across Europe to Adopt NIF Campaign in Tackling Anti-Semitism in Soccer

February 26, 2008

NIF's campaign to combat racism in Israeli society through soccer has been praised as "good practice" in a report that was presented this week in Jerusalem at the Global Forum on Anti-Semitism.

John Mann, a British Member of Parliament, a Deputy Minister of Sport and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Anti-Semitism, said that, "NIF's campaign would be a great model for countries across Europe to adopt in combating anti-Semitism and racism."

Mann, who co-authored the report with British social activist Johnny Cohen, presented his report entitled "Anti-Semitism in European Football: A Scar on the Beautiful Game" at the Global Forum on Anti-Semitism on Sunday. Addressing delegates at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, he spoke of increasing anti-Semitism in soccer which he described as "hidden racism".

"Anti-Semitism is the forgotten racism, especially in Western Europe," explained Mann, a member of Britain's Labor party and a non-Jew. "It expresses itself in chanting at stadiums by fans right up to anti-Semitic comments by the owners of clubs. A lot of good work has been done to fight discrimination in soccer against Blacks, but anti-Semitism is often overlooked. That is unacceptable."

The 15 page report reviews Europe country by country and catalogues a disturbing pattern of anti-Semitic behavior including chants in England like "Gas a Jew, gas a Jew, put him in the oven and cook him through".

The report has a brief entry on Israel (which is a member of UEFA - the European Soccer Federation) headed "Good Practice" and says:

"The New Israel Fund joined the UEFA campaign to stop anti-Semitism and racism on the field and in the stands.

Observers attend grounds every week with weekly reports published, naming and shaming the worst offenders and a new law carrying up to two-year prison sentences was passed. The number of incidents classified as racist fell by 25% last season and there were some arrests."

Speaking to NIF News Mann said, "The NIF campaign is a very bold initiative which has been courageous in confronting Jewish-Arab racism in Israeli football. This is the kind of courage which is needed across Europe if racism and anti-Semitism are to be kicked out of football."

"A stadium full of fans with players of all religions and races from around the world is not just sport, it's also the real world," he added. "It reflects society."