French authorities have begun security preparations for Thursday's UEFA Nations League soccer match in Paris between France and Israel, following violent antisemitic attacks last week in Amsterdam that targeted visiting fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
An estimated 4,000 police officers and 1,600 facility staff will be stationed inside and around the Stade de France, as well as along nearby public transportation routes. This contingent will be nearly four times larger than those assigned to previous engagements.
In addition to the heightened protective presence, spectators will undergo extra screening measures, including bag searches and pat-downs. Only flags and symbols from France and Israel will be permitted inside the venue.
Despite the increased precautions, only around 20,000 tickets have been sold to the international contest, filling just a fraction of the 80,000-seat stadium.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office told AFP that he and Prime Minister Michel Barnier will attend the event as a “message of fraternity and solidarity after the intolerable acts of antisemitism that followed the match in Amsterdam this week.”
On Sunday, Israel’s National Security Council issued a travel advisory, warning its citizens to avoid the game and other crowded athletic and cultural activities in Europe.
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