(Photo By: Via Wikimedia Commons)
By: Jerusalem Post Staff - November 9, 2021
English professional football club Leeds United printed a declaration concerning antisemitism on their matchday program for Sunday’s matchup against Leicester City.
The declaration was printed on the matchday program, a document which highlights the match’s lineups and relevant match details, and condemned the acts of antisemitism that have grown in frequency at English Premier League matches.
“Discriminatory actions or language have no place anywhere in football or society and everyone associated with Leeds United is proud to be a part of an inclusive and diverse club,” the statement read. “We want to ensure that everyone feels safe and valued at all times.”
The declaration also retorted against Jewish fans who use potentially antisemitic language as a term of endearment. “A small minority of fanbases have in the past tarnished some fixtures by using antisemitic chanting, noises and gestures – offering justification of opposition fans using specific terms as a form of identity,” said the club in an apparent reference to Tottenham Hotspur’s Jewish supporters who colloquially refer to themselves as the “yid army” – a play on the Yiddish phrase “Yid,” which roughly means “Jew.” Opposing fans have been documented using the term derogatorily against self-proclaimed “yids.”
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