Soccer (illustration)
Soccer (illustration)iStock

Many members of Makkabi Germany who play on its soccer teams say that they have frequently experienced anti-Semitism at games, according to a new survey that states two thirds of Makkabi Germany club members have been targeted for being Jewish.

Noam Petry, 17, who plays on Makkabit Frankfurt soccer team, told news website DW that he has had to deal with anti-Semitism at games since he was 10-years old.

"I'd say it happens in about seven or eight games out of the 20 we play in a season," he said, noting that referees don’t intervene.

He described being the regular target of insults such as “You lousy Jew” and “You should’ve been gassed.” During one match, a ref even gave his teammates a warning for calling someone a Nazi for taunting him with an anti-Semitic slur.

"You feel helpless and humiliated, sometimes you're even scared for your safety," Petry said.

The survey of 309 Makkabi Germany club members found that 39 percent have experienced at least one anti-Semitic incident, with that number rising to 68 percent among soccer players.

The number of soccer players who witnesses at least one or more anti-Semitic incidents against another Makkabi member rose to 78 percent, with 19 percent saying they had been the target of anti-Semitism in the last six months.

The study was produced by Alon Meyer, Makkabi Germany president. He wanted to put into official numbers the anti-Semitism his members have been facing. He said that the results of the survey don’t surprise him.

"We wanted to show this isn't something we just feel is the reality, but it is reality," he told DW.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)