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LONDON: Racist chanting by football fans in Israel has increased significantly, according to research conducted by an anti-racism group.

Kick It Out Israel, backed by civil society group Givat Haviva — which works toward a “shared society for Jews and Arabs” — singled out fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv in particular for their behavior.

In all, 367 instances of racist chanting were identified at Israeli Premier League matches in the 2024-25 season, a 67 percent increase on the previous year.

Maccabi fans were responsible for 118 of those incidents, most notably for repeated use of the chant “Let the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) win, f— the Arabs.”

The chant caused international controversy when sung by Maccabi fans during a game marred by violence against Dutch club Ajax in 2024, which saw 60 people arrested.

Fans of Beitar Jerusalem were responsible for the second-highest number of racist chants, with 115 incidents highlighted.

The behavior of Maccabi fans during the Ajax fixture was at the heart of a recent decision to ban them from traveling to the English city of Birmingham for a Europa league match again Aston Villa later this year.

West Midlands Police cited the prospect of “racist taunts” as a potential source of trouble in explaining their decision.

In addition to racist chanting at IPL matches, Kick It Out identified 165 violent incidents last season, including objects being thrown and pitch invasions.

Matan Segal, director of Kick It Out Israel, said the IPL season would “be remembered not for the football itself but for a series of troubling events that should concern every citizen in Israel,” and that there was an “absence of a serious and effective effort to combat these phenomena.”

Piara Powar, executive director of the Fare network — which focuses on monitoring racism at football matches in Europe — said the trend in Israel deviated from European leagues, where racism is on the decline. 

FairSquare, a group that pushes for the upholding of human rights in sport, wrote to UEFA — European football’s governing body — this week demanding that the Israel Football Association be suspended for breaching Article 7 of UEFA’s statutes requiring members to “implement an effective policy aimed at eradicating racism and any other forms of discrimination.”

UEFA had been expected to suspend the IFA before the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this month, but FairSquare said Kick It Out’s report “provides clear grounds for UEFA to act and suspend the IFA.”

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball and Alba Berlin have agreed on the transfer of American guard Rejean “Boogie” Ellis. He will join the Dubai team for the rest of the 2025-2026 season with his contract running through 2027.

The 24-year-old comes after starting the season in Germany. Before that, he had a strong college career at Memphis and the University of Southern California, and played in the NBA G League, where he became known as a consistent scorer and reliable backcourt player.

Ellis, who is 1.88 meters tall, is a quick and explosive combo guard with strong scoring skills and the ability to create his own shot. At Alba Berlin he made an impact in international competitions, often scoring in double figures.

“Boogie fits perfectly with our vision — young, hungry, competitive and already tested at a high level,” said general manager Dejan Kamenjasevic. “He brings immediate impact, creativity, and pace to our backcourt, helping us get through difficult moments when multiple players are sidelined with injuries.

“He was somewhat under the radar, and we believe players like him can truly make a difference in European basketball. He has the capacity to grow alongside our core and elevate the team’s identity in the coming years.”

On his move to the Middle East Ellis said: “Dubai is building something exciting on a global stage, and I want to be part of that journey. I’m ready to give everything for this team and connect with the fans from Day 1.”

Dubai Basketball will face Partizan Belgrade for the second time this season after a monumental win in their EuroLeague debut.

Following a two-week away stint, Dubai return to home soil to compete against the Serbian giants — this time in the ABA League — on Nov. 3 at Coca-Cola Arena.