For nearly four years, Matan Segal led Kick It Out Israel, an anti-discrimination campaign that shared similar objectives with the identically named English organisation but had no formal connection to it. He stepped down several months ago.
Racism has been a persistent problem in Israeli club football, with Beitar Jerusalem supporters among those most widely associated with it.
In 2013, ultras set fire to their own club’s offices after the team recruited two Muslim players from Chechnya.
Beitar’s most radical supporters have repeatedly targeted Israeli Arabs with chants calling for their villages to burn while describing themselves as permanently pure.
During Segal’s tenure at Kick It Out Israel, however, he witnessed abuse directed at Arab players becoming more aggressive and increasingly common.
One contributing factor was the pandemic, when some supporters became more radical through online activity during lockdowns.
Another was the election of Israel’s far-right government in late 2022, which brought greater acceptance to opinions about Palestinians that had previously been regarded as extreme.
The subsequent war further intensified the situation.
Segal said that, before 7 October, Arab players were generally treated with respect.
Although some supporters objected when those players did not sing Israel’s national anthem, the issue could still be discussed respectfully, he explained.
Following 7 October, however, Segal noticed a rise in racist comments.
He said the abuse began appearing even at smaller clubs where it had not previously been observed, including appalling chants advocating the killing of Arabs and mocking the deaths of children in Gaza.
Football has inevitably become a major outlet for the powerful emotions surrounding the conflict.
Clubs normally divided by fierce rivalries united to honour those killed by Hamas. Team scarves were also included in memorials at the Nova music festival site, where hundreds of people lost their lives.
Hapoel Jerusalem’s badge now includes the silhouette of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped and later killed in captivity. His grieving parents have since advocated for peace.
At the same time, Israeli military personnel operating in Gaza have displayed club flags and banners, presenting their actions as tributes to clubs and ultra groups in Israel., external
In this highly charged environment, young players face relentless pressure and examination. Many are directly connected to the conflict through compulsory national service and constant exposure to online images and commentary.
Afik Tery, a lifelong friend of Gloukh, died in a Hamas explosive attack while serving in the Israeli military.
Following Tery’s death, Gloukh shared an emotional collection of photographs, external documenting their friendship, from childhood birthday celebrations to a wedding in adulthood. The final image showed Tery’s funeral.
Some pro-Palestinian users responded to the post with hostile remarks.
The risks are particularly serious for Israeli players of Palestinian heritage.
Dia Saba occupies a creative role similar to Gloukh’s. The 33-year-old has registered three goals across 13 appearances for Israel.
He is not expected to represent the national team again.
Saba was one of Maccabi Haifa’s leading players when his wife, Narmin, published an Instagram message shortly after the conflict began.
Her post reminded readers that children were also living in Gaza.
Although Saba apologised for the anger the message generated, his career in Israel did not recover. He departed Maccabi Haifa in 2025 and now represents Turkish club Amedspor.
At the time, Saba explained that playing for Maccabi Haifa had been his ambition because it was the club he supported and followed while growing up.
He said he had hoped to remain with the team, but circumstances beyond his control made that impossible.
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