(Jewish Group) Jewish footballers aged seven taunted by opponents with 'gas chamber' hissing sounds [View all]

Jewish junior footballers aged seven have been taunted by children on opposing teams with hissing sounds meant to evoke the gas chambers.

The disturbing practice has emerged as former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers urges the football authorities to enforce the same “zero tolerance” on antisemitism in the professional and amateur game that is rightly applied to other forms of racism.

In a parliamentary debate on antisemitism in football last week, Labour MP for Bury South Christian Wakeford said: “Even at grassroots and junior football, I have heard local reports from Maccabi of their Jewish players – some only seven years of age – being hissed at by players on the opposite side, replicating the noise of the gas chambers. I am sure that we can all agree that is truly shameful, shocking and abhorrent.”

Tory former Northern Ireland secretary Ms Villiers told the JC: “I found that incredibly disturbing. To have young children inflicting that on each other is horrifying.” She suggested that many referees would be unaware of what the hissing meant. The answer, she added, was “to improve referee training at all levels of the game, so that they will realise what’s happening and put a stop to it”.

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From the mouths of babes...