Israeli soccer fans filmed cursing Prophet Muhammad

Turkish reporter who joined Maccabi Tel Aviv's trip to Turkey records group of fans singing songs against Muhammad, Muslims. TV channel decides to shelve video in order to avoid possible flare-up
Rotem Grossman

TURKEY – A serious and potentially dangerous diplomatic incident between Israel and Turkey was prevented Wednesday, after a national Turkish TV channel agreed not to broadcast a video showing Israeli soccer fans cursing the Prophet Muhammad.

 

The network decided to shelve the tape following appeals from senior government officials.

 

The video was filmed by a Turkish reporter of Channel 24, Elif Ural, who accompanied the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team on its flight from Israel to the Turkish town of Kayseri, where it is scheduled to play against local team Erciyesstor Thursday evening.

 

A group of fans who were on the plane with the team were caught on video singing songs against Muhammad and Muslims.

 

Ural, who has been living in Israel for the past three years as the network's Mideast correspondent, was deeply offended by what she witnessed and heard, and by the club's officials' failure to intervene and put an end to the offensive behavior.

 

"The decision not to broadcast the video was the right one and I don’t have a problem with it," Ural said. "There is really no need to risk relations between Israel and Turkey because of 10 idiots. I understood that if the incident is published, the potential for a violent outbreak at the stadium and in the city could grow significantly. But what I felt on the plane would be very hard to forget."

 

Ural plans to speak with the club's chairman, Lonnie Hercikowicz, and complain about the incident."He needs to make it clear to his people that they should be no less committed than him to civility and mutual respect," she stated.