© TwitterFans of AEK Athens burn an Israeli flag at a match against Hapoel Jerusalem, in Athens, Greece, April 12, 2023.
Images showed a banner hung on the stands with the text "The capital of Palestine is Jerusalem," referencing the historic dispute between Israel and the Palestinians over the holy city.
An official from Hapoel Jerusalem told Channel 12 news that some fans were lightly injured during the incident. The game was paused briefly due to the fireworks, and police did not allow fans to leave the arena.
"There is unprecedented chaos and a failure of security here," the official said.
Comment: 'Lightly injured' and a 'brief pause' does not sound like 'chaos'.
Fans said they were intimidated by the officers, who were aggressive toward them. Some of those in attendance told the Kan public broadcaster that police made no effort to arrest the rioters.
"From the start of the game there was a very hostile atmosphere against the Israelis," Tal Hakim told Kan. He added there were "many Palestinian and Hezbollah flags and attempts to enter our stand and set the Israeli flag on fire."
Comment: It's rather telling that in the image above right they just so happened to block out the words 'of Palestine'.
"A quarter of an hour after the game started, they began to throw bricks and rocks at us, and even injured some fans. We were confined to a small area to not get hurt. A quarter of an hour after that, they began to launch fireworks at us and burned the clothes of one of the fans.
"Everyone was waiting for the game to end so they could get home in one piece," he said.
The game, the second in a FIBA Champions League quarterfinal series, ended in a 94-78 AEK victory.
The Israeli team said in a statement that it considered the incident "terrorism in every sense of the word."
Comment: If these commentators are unable to recognise the terrorism their government is responsible for, one can't trust that they truly understand the definition.
"We explored options to remove Israeli fans at halftime, but Greeks surrounded them and there were fears of a violent pogrom. The team won't ignore these events and a complaint will be filed to FIBA," it said in a statement.
Comment: Whilst the incident is indeed noteworthy, speaking out against the relentless (real) pogroms that Palestinians are forced to endure is becoming increasingly common in countries that recognize the crimes against humanity Israel is responsible for.