Israel and Switzerland draw 1-1 in Euro 2024 qualifying game in Hungary

FELCSUT, Hungary (AP) — The recent European Championship qualifying match between Switzerland and Israel ended with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. The match brought the Israeli team to Hungary after all games in Tel Aviv were postponed due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel is hosting two “home games” in Felcsut, a Hungarian village of approximately 1,900 residents, as it pursues a qualifying spot in the Euro 2024 continental championship. If the team qualifies, it will mark its first time participating in the European soccer federation since 1994.

Prior to the game, fans draped in Israeli flags gathered outside the heavily guarded stadium, singing chants as their team’s bus arrived.

The mood was celebratory, but fans, some of whom traveled from Israel, described the significance of the contest in somber terms given the challenging time the country is currently experiencing.

“We’re going through a very, very difficult time right now, and it just felt right,” said Aaron Morali, an Israeli fan who drove two hours from Vienna, Austria to watch the game. “We’re Jewish, we’re here … It was very important for us to come here.”

Some fans in the stands held up signs bearing the faces of Israelis kidnapped during the recent Hamas assault inside Israel, heightening the emotional stakes of the game.

With fears of antisemitic acts on the rise across Europe, the decision to bring the rescheduled qualifying games to Hungary was based on the security guarantees for the Israeli team.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long maintained that Hungary is one of the safest places in Europe for Jewish people and has close relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As the match approached, heightened security transformed the usually quiet village, with police and other security forces becoming a prominent presence.

“The village is a bit upside down, everybody going in and out of the facility is checked,” said Rikardo Mate, a Felcsut resident.

Following the game, Israel remains in third place in Group I of Euro 2024 qualifying, sitting behind Switzerland and Romania, both with 16 points each. The top two teams will automatically qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany.

Israel’s next match against Romania will be held in Felcsut on Saturday.

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