Anti-racism groups on Friday called on European football's governing body UEFA to punish Polish club Legia Warsaw after fans brandished a "Jihad" banner during a Europa League match against Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv.
"This is yet another case of anti-Semitic behaviour by extremist groups active in Polish football stadiums, and it could have been predicted," Rafal Pankowski of the campaign group Never Again told AFP.
At the start of Thursday night's Group C home game in Warsaw - which Legia won 3-2 - a group of fans unfurled a huge banner stretching across three blocks of a stand.
Written in Arabic-style letters, it read "Jihad Legia". The banner was green, which is one of Legia's colours but also that of Islamist groups.
It is considered likely that the UEFA will fine the team--which could be up to $1.8million. The UEFA could also ban fans from attending the second leg of the match, scheduled for Tel Aviv on December 15.
For those who don't know the history, the article spells it out:
Far-right and anti-Semitic banners and slogans are notably shocking given the region's World War II history, when millions perished at the hands of occupying Nazi Germany, including the overwhelming majority of its Jews.
In Poland, antisemitism is alive and well.
Technorati Tag: Israel and Antisemitism.
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