Israel Is Booed Relentlessly During Olympic Soccer Match Against Mali

PARIS — Israel’s national anthem was loudly jeered before its soccer team kicked off play at the Paris Olympics against Mali on Wednesday night.

The game began with a massive security presence outside the stadium amid an increasingly strained international climate that has Paris’ safety efforts squarely in the spotlight.

The Israel team arrived under a heavy police escort, with motorbike riders at the front and about a dozen riot police vans following behind. Armed police officers patrolled the Parc des Princes stadium, one with a rifle resting on his shoulder. France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, and Paris police chief Laurent Nunez arrived at the stadium at about 7:30 p.m.

“We owe this security to the whole world,” Darmanin said. “The threats to our country are the threats that concern the western world.”

The atmosphere outside the venue was calm, however. Fans from both countries mingled, holding up flags and posing for photos.

Mali fans sang proudly when their anthem was played first. When it came to Israel’s anthem, boos and whistles immediately rang out . The stadium speaker system playing the anthems then got notably louder in what seemed like an effort to drown out the jeers.

Once play began, Israeli players were booed each time they touched the ball. Security officials intervened in what appeared to be a heated argument between some fans. The commotion occurred near where one woman was holding a Palestinian flag. Two other people holding Palestine flags then stood next to the woman.

Fans open Palestinian flags and wear t-shirts with letters reading "Free Palestine" at the match between Mali and Israel.

The game finished 1-1, with Israel taking the lead after an own goal from defender Hamidou Diallo in the 57th minute. Mali equalized a few minutes later on Cheickna Doumbia’s powerful header, drawing wild celebrations from the large contingent of Mali fans.

France is under pressure to make the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games safe. The city has repeatedly suffered deadly extremist attacks and tensions are high because of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza .

Security has been ramped up to extreme levels for Friday’s grandiose opening ceremony on the Seine River. Squadrons of police have been patrolling Paris’ streets, fighter jets and soldiers are primed to scramble and metal-fence security barriers have been erected on both sides of the river.

Stav Lemkin of Team Israel battles for the ball with Cheickna Doumbia of Mali.

Darmanin previously said Israeli athletes would be protected 24 hours a day by elite police unit GIGN, which is in charge of counterterrorism and the protection of government officials, among other things.

“Police forces will have no vacation this summer in order to guarantee everyone’s safety and in particular, delegations deemed sensitive such as the Israeli delegation for which we have reinforced security thanks to our elite units,” National Police spokesperson Sonia Fibleuil said earlier Wednesday. “All the matches deemed sensitive will see heightened security with special forces and elite units but also a wider security apparatus with special resources.”