BERLIN (Reuters) – A new online reporting button for anti-Semitic incidents in sport will help create a safer environment and greater acceptance, Germany’s Jewish sports umbrella organisation Makkabi Germany said on Monday.
The online reporting link that sports clubs can add to their website is designed to better report and record such incidents following the Oct. 7 raids by Hamas in Israel.
According to the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS), anti-Semitic incidents, not only in sport, across Germany from Oct. 7 to Oct 15 rose to 202, a 240% rise over the same period last year.
“A study by (Makkabi Germany project) Together1 shows that reporting structures are often not known. As a result, anti-Semitic incidents remain obscure, especially in sports. It is therefore difficult to help those affected,” Makkabi Germany said.
Israel has said 1,400 people were killed when Hamas-led militants stormed through the south of the country on Oct. 7 and took 229 hostage. Hamas has released four so far and said 50 have been killed in retaliatory strikes.
Medical authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, which has a population of 2.3 million people, said on Monday that 8,306 people – including 3,457 minors – had been killed.
“The sports reporting button enables clubs and associations as well as fan organisations to integrate the reporting function on all websites at a low threshold,” Makkabi Germany said in a statement.
“The enormous increase in anti-Semitic incidents since Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israeli civilians on October 7 shows that anti-Semitism is widespread and affects the everyday life of Jews – including in sport.”
German sport has already been affected by reactions to the situation in Israel and Gaza with Bayern Munich and Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui’s social media posts in connection with the Israel-Hamas conflict causing a furore days ago.
The player, who had discussions with club officials, was not sanctioned by the club for his actions.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
