Makkabi is a Jewish sports club based in Stockholm. Its men’s football team competes in division 6, and they are scheduled to play against Henriksdalsbergets FF.
However, a troubling incident arose when Henriksdalsbergets FF promoted the match on their Instagram account. They posted a picture in which the Star of David, a symbol present in IK Makkabi’s club logo, had been intentionally removed. Furthermore, the background music featured the song “Dammi Falastini” by Mohammad Assaf.
This act reflects a distressing trend where Jewish individuals, in this case, Swedish-Jewish football players, are unfairly targeted and blamed amidst conflicts such as the Gaza war. Such behavior is unequivocally unacceptable and constitutes a clear instance of antisemitism.
Following the backlash on Instagram, the post was eventually removed after receiving critical comments. Later, Henriksdalsbergets FF issued a statement on their Instagram story, acknowledging the inappropriate nature of the picture and announcing the departure of the individual responsible for social media. It is commendable that the club took swift action in addressing the issue.
