Israeli soccer association: Ban Italian fans who made fascist salute
Chairman says Israel wants to see 'minority -- 5 people at most' banned from matches worldwide so they cannot 'spread their twisted ideas'
Israel’s football association called Friday for the banning of Italian fans who allegedly gave fascist salutes during this week’s clash between the two countries, saying it would send visual evidence.
Several Italian fans are alleged to have saluted during Monday’s World Cup qualifier in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, which Italy won 3-1.
“We have photos of several (Italian) fans doing a fascist salute,” Israel Football Association spokesman Shlomi Barzel told AFP.
“We are talking about a minority — five people at most — and we intend to send those photos to the Italian football association.”
He said he wanted the fans banned from games worldwide and said the two football associations would work together to “make sure they cannot enter any stadium and spread their twisted ideas.”
The salute touches raw nerves in the Jewish state as it was used by supporters of Hitler in Germany.
It was also regularly used by Italian fascists in the 20th century.