“Sport has been weaponized by antisemites and we must use sport to combat it,” Dagmar Gavorníková, president of Maccabi Europe, told JNS.
By David Wiseman, JNS
The first European conference dedicated exclusively to antisemitism in sport was held recently in Bratislava, Slovakia, bringing together delegates from eight countries to confront a phenomenon that organizers say has escalated sharply since Oct. 7, 2023.
The groundbreaking gathering, titled “The Other Side of the Coin: Antisemitism in Sports,” on Nov. 25-26, was organized by Maccabi Ukraine, Jewrope, the Slovak Maccabi Organisation and B’nai B’rith Tolerancia, and formed part of the third annual MAZEL TOV Jewish Culture Festival.
The conference was moderated by festival organizer and initiator Tomáš Stern, who said sport’s unique visibility makes it a powerful tool for both influence and abuse.
“People don’t realize how powerful sport is,” Stern said. “It’s one of the most effective platforms antisemites have at their disposal, which is why confronting antisemitism in sports has become a top priority.”
Organizers pointed to a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in sporting arenas, locker rooms and online spaces since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. Soccer stadiums have seen anti-Jewish chants, Israeli athletes have faced refusals to compete against them, and coordinated digital harassment campaigns have surged—often without effective intervention from authorities.
Dagmar Gavorníková, president of Maccabi Europe, said the situation across the continent has become urgent. “With antisemitism on the rise across Europe, something like this is really needed,” Gavorníková told JNS. “Sport has been weaponized by antisemites, and we must use sport to combat it.”
She added that recent clashes involving Israeli teams in Europe demonstrate how quickly sporting events can become flashpoints for political hostility.
“The violence and hatred directed at Israel and at Jews are one and the same,” she said. “People claim they are ‘anti-Israel, not antisemitic,’ but many of them cannot even point to Israel on a map.”
The presence of ambassadors and diplomats underscored the seriousness of the effort, while sponsorship from Maccabi USA and the European Practitioners Network Against Antisemitism added international credibility.
Lior Aizenberg, founder of the Chess4All and Chess4Solidarity projects, highlighted how Israeli Jewish and Muslim athletes compete together on national teams—an image often absent from international media coverage. His initiative has engaged more than 25,000 participants across the Middle East and Europe.
Eric Rubin, global ambassador for the Maccabi World Union and founder of Project Max, presented initiatives developed with NBA, NFL and Olympic athletes aimed at countering antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel.
“When athletes experience Israel firsthand, they realize how disconnected the BDS narrative is from reality,” Rubin said. “Athletes wield enormous social media influence, making their involvement crucial for educating the public about tolerance and respect.”
Conference participants called for stronger international cooperation, improved monitoring of antisemitism in sports, and the development of educational tools for sports federations, clubs and fans.
Organizers expressed hope that future conferences would eventually shift focus from combating hatred to strengthening Jewish life, tolerance and democratic values across Europe.