Why Scotland’s fiercest football rivalry features Israeli Vs Palestinian flags

When Glasgow Celtic and Rangers play each other, there’s a good chance that Israeli and Palestinian flags will fly in the stands.

Next weekend marks the Scottish soccer season’s first Old Firm matchup — the nickname for the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, two of the country’s most storied clubs, both based in Glasgow.

The Israeli-Palestinian flag phenomenon, which started around 15 years ago, leaves Scottish Jewish fans stuck in the middle of a political divide that they would like to escape while at the soccer pitch.

When Celtic fans began adopting Palestinian flags in the late 2000s, the knee-jerk response among some Rangers fans was to hoist Israeli flags among the Union Jacks and Northern Irish crosses.

FULL STORY Why Scotland’s fiercest soccer rivalry features Israeli Vs Palestinian flags (JTA)

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Photo: A Rangers FC fan celebrates while holding an Israeli flag during a match against Celtic FC in 2017 (Ross MacDonald)