PLO flags at soccer match in France
PLO flags at soccer match in FranceOshri Dudai, Beitar Jerusalem

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags were seen on Thursday evening during a soccer match in France between Israeli Beitar Jerusalem and Saint-Étienne.

Even before the game began, dozens of Beitar fans who arrived at the stadium saw that an anti-Israel protest was taking place nearby.

The pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators gathered near the Saint-Étienne City Hall and, in order to prevent friction between the two groups of fans, Jerusalem fans were taken into a fenced area of ​​the stadium, in which they were asked to remain for several hours without being able to go out to buy food and drink, at their request.

In addition, the Israeli fans were not allowed to bring Israeli flags into the stadium, while on the other hand PLO flags were flown by fans of the French team.

The incident marks the second time in recent weeks that PLO flags were seen during a soccer game against an Israeli team.

Last week, supporters of Glasgow’s Celtic Football Club waved PLO flags during their Champions League qualifier against Israel’s Hapoel Be'er Sheva, prompting the Union of European Football (UEFA) to launch disciplinary proceedings against Celtic.

Last year, UEFA considered punitive actions against the Belgian Charleroi soccer team, after Charleroi fans taunted Beitar Jerusalem fans during a game with Nazi salutes and anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli chants.