Times of Israel last week reported:German’s under-21 squad will wear special shirts dedicated to Israel as it warms up for itsIt was, of course, inevitable that Arabs would be upset that anyone could express happiness at visiting the Jewish state.
match against Holland’s team Thursday, in a tribute to the tournament’s host country.
The shirts read “we feel at home” in Hebrew, and wearing them is a rare move by a visiting country in an international tournament. UEFA’s Under-21 Championship is the most prestigious sporting competition to be hosted by Israel since the 1968 Paralympics.
At a pre-game press conference, international midfielder Lewis Holtby spoke warmly of the welcome the German team received in Israel. “The hospitality in Israel is great, the weather is better than in England or Germany,” he said, adding his club, Tottenham Hotspur, had a Jewish background, which made the experience “interesting.”
Elaph reports that
There was a state of anger and extreme indignation among Arabs and Palestinians on websites and social networks, especially Facebook and Twitter, because this move was "provocative" to the feelings of the victims and the wounded and injured by the brutality and racism of the Israeli occupation forces.
Activists on social networking sites said that Germany is trying to ingratiate themselves to the Israelis as atonement for what they suffered during the rule of Nazi leader Hitler; they are trying to make friends and get closer to the Jews at the expense of the just Palestinian cause.