Since the Hamas terror attack against Israel, Crystal Palace has been the standout English Premier League soccer club showing support for Israel. The South London club openly defended the Israeli victims rather than settling for a neutral statement.
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As the Manchester derby approaches, Manchester United became only the second club to recognize the victims, paying tribute to their dedicated fan, Yonatan Rapoport, who was murdered in the attack at Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7.
"Rest in peace, Yonatan Rapoport," read the title of the club's newsletter. "Earlier this month, we received tragic news of the murder of United fan Yonatan Rapoport. Known as Yoni, Rapoport was killed during the Hamas attack on kibbutz Be'eri in Israel on 7 October."
"The 41-year-old was born on the Isle of Wight, before moving to Israel, and was father to two children. He sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his children Yosef, nine, and Alma, six."
"Yonatan was an avid United fan, and visited Old Trafford many times, with his father, Omer, and his brothers, Dan and Adam. He was due to take his son for his first-ever match next month. His loving memory will be with his family, friends and the Israeli Reds community forever."
"Our Deepest condolences go to Yonatan's family and friends, including all the United fans that knew him," the newsletter said.
During last week's Liverpool derby, an Israeli fan displayed a flag inscribed with the names of four victims from the Hamas attack: Roy Munder, Neta Epstein, Yuval Yaffe and Uri Tchernichovsky.
Before the game kicked off, security demanded the flag be removed even though some Palestinian flags were seen in the stands throughout the game. The move sparked outrage among many Israeli fans, with some even declaring they no longer considered themselves Liverpool supporters.