France prepares for Israeli national team’s arrival in wake of Amsterdam attacks

As France prepares the Stade de France for a game next week against Israel’s national team, security is the key component in mind following Thursday night’s pogroms in Amsterdam, Le Parisien reported on Friday citing a security source. 

On Thursday night, Jewish and Israeli visitors to Holland were attacked in the nation’s capital - prompting Israel to organize a mass evacuation. At least 5 Israelis were hospitalized and local law enforcement arrested at least 60 parties believed to be responsible.

"We absolutely must avoid having similar scenes here," a security source told the French site. "We will be watched by the whole world. It’s like the Olympics, almost: we can’t afford to make mistakes." 

Eyes were drawn to the Israeli team in the Paris 2024 Olympics following a number of Iranian threats. Multiple arrests were made as terrorists planned to target the events, while taking advantage of the large gatherings.

Ensuring the safety of attendees

As part of the security preparation, Le Parisien was told the entrances and the area surrounding the Stade de France will be under tight surveillance, and authorities aim to minimize potential gatherings before and after the game. 

Stores and bars around the stadium have reportedly also been ordered to close by 3:45 PM on match day, and several nearby businesses will shut their doors - preventing large gatherings and ensuring a quicker dispersal from the area.

Fewer fans will also be attending the match, according to the site, which cited the French Football Federation. Only 15,000 tickets have reportedly been sold and a total of 20,000 are expected to attend - despite the stadium’s 80,000 person capacity.

The upper stadium is reportedly likely to be closed due to the lack of attendees and the lower levels are likely to be restricted to reduce the ability for persons to access the field. 

In addition to securing the safety of attendees, officials are attempting to maintain secrecy surrounding the whereabouts of Israeli players.

The security source told the French site that one major concern was pro-Palestinian protests - "Not so much because of the protest itself, but because things could quickly escalate on public roads."