Für Maccabi Tel Aviv ging es um etwas Elementares, die Sicherheit. Aber auch für Berlin stand einiges auf dem Spiel an diesem Abend. 1500 Polizisten waren in der Stadt im Einsatz, um dafür zu sorgen, dass ein Basketballspiel als Basketballspiel stattfinden kann, und nicht zum Spielfeld politischer Auseinandersetzungen wird, bis hin zu verheerenden Krawallen wie vor einigen Wochen beim Fußballspiel von Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
Berlin, das ist in diesem Fall nicht nur die deutsche Hauptstadt mit ihrer Geschichte, es ist in der Gegenwart auch die Stadt, in der sich die Ausläufer des Nahostkonflikts in verschiedensten Kontexten unheilvoll zeigen, deren Polizeipräsidentin kürzlich jüdischen und queeren Menschen riet, in bestimmten Gegenden vorsichtiger zu sein, und deren Bürgermeister die Polizeipräsidentin dafür lobte, die Probleme offen anzusprechen. Zudem hatte Berlin erst kürzlich einen eigenen aufsehenerregenden Fall von antisemitischen Vorfällen bei einem Jugend-Fußballspiel von Makkabi Berlin.
Vor diesem Hintergrund war es eine gute Nachricht, nicht nur für Berlin, dass das Basketballspiel zwischen Alba Berlin und Maccabi Tel Aviv in allererster Linie als Basketballspiel stattfinden konnte, mit Tel Aviv als klarem Sieger, 103:85 – aber eben ohne eine Niederlage in Form von Ausschreitungen, einer antiisraelischen oder antisemitischen Eskalation.
When the last spectators left the arena at Ostbahnhof late on Thursday evening, there was still a lot of blue light to be seen, emergency services in heavy gear not only from Berlin or the Federal Police, but also from Lower Saxony, Thuringia, North Rhine-Westphalia, but there were no major ones incidents occurred. “We set it up as a big operation, but it worked exactly as we intended. There were no notable incidents. A great result,” said a police spokesman. Although “various people” were approached and stopped on the way to the arena, there were no arrests.
During the game, it was seen three times in the stands that law enforcement officers addressed spectators and, after discussions, led them from their seats. They held up Palestinian scarves and in one case shouted “Free Palestine” towards the Israeli club’s fans. However, there were no further conflicts.
The game’s atmosphere was negatively affected – viewed from the outside – mainly by the fact that many Alba fans had apparently decided not to visit. There are usually over 10,000 spectators who come to the home games in the Euroleague, which was also the case in the past when Tel Aviv was a guest. This time there were just 5,000, which made the hall seem rather empty – except for the well-filled – and loud – block of Maccabi fans.
A number of cameras and microphones were aimed at them before the entrance. One who traveled from Austria said he was a big basketball fan and had relatives in Israel, so he “couldn’t miss” the game. Another, wearing the Maccabi Germany training jacket, said he was “not involved with basketball” but wanted to “show solidarity” and “not hide”. One woman, wearing her Maccabi scarf rather cautiously, said in English: “I can’t say I’m scared, but I’m not relaxed either.” Yet another said people in Germany were “nice,” and he just hopes for a “good game” and a “peaceful evening”.
It was – whether it was thanks to the considerable effort or whether the danger was less serious than feared. According to reports, there had previously been no concrete evidence of serious disturbances, but the police reported that there had been threats beforehand, and they had also issued a ban on knives around the hall and the team hotel in Berlin-Mitte. Streets and footpaths there were also closed during their stay, and when the team from Tel Aviv made their way to the hall in the Alba team bus in the early evening, around 15 police vehicles plus motorcycles provided an escort.
Late on Thursday evening, Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Odded Kattash sat in the press conference room and after giving his sporting analysis, he was asked how the team was dealing with the situation, including the fact that there were now police in front of the dressing room stand. “Everything has been difficult for us since October 7 last year, everything has changed,” he said. “I hope, we all hope, that things in Israel will change for the better.” As for the special evening in Berlin, Kattash did not go into detail. When it comes to basketball, he said, it’s never pleasant here – which quite flattered Alba’s performance. “Personally,” he added before heading towards the dressing room and his players, “I always enjoy being here.”
