Celtic FC supporters are calling on the Scottish football club to terminate a reported £2 million ($2.68m) transfer deal for Israeli club Maccabi Netanya striker Jocelin Ta Bi.
Fans and activists say the club should not conduct any financial transactions with a firm based in Israel amid its ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, as millions of football fans around the world rally in support of a sports boycott of Israel.
“This is not just an ordinary football transfer deal. Israeli clubs are not neutral sporting bodies,” the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said in a post.
“Celtic Football Club should refuse to do business with a team representing apartheid Israel – a regime committing genocide in Gaza, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, including 800+ sportspeople, and systematically damaging or destroying all sporting infrastructure,” PACBI added.
Many social media users also pointed out that Maccabi Netanya is owned by Aliya Capital Partners, whose founder and chief executive sits on the board of Xtend Defense, an Israeli military drone manufacturer that has supplied thousands of drones to the Israeli army.
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“This is an insult to Palestinians, to the ethos of the club, and to the Celtic fans who practice and follow BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] as a matter of principle in their day-to-day,” posted advocacy group Scottish Sport for Palestine.
Celtic’s fanbase has long been known for its pro-Palestinian activism, particularly by the Green Brigade ultras group, whose solidarity displays have drawn international attention and repeated disciplinary action from Uefa.
‘Club doesn’t stand for anything anymore’
While the Green Brigade has not issued a statement on this specific transfer, individual supporters have expressed outrage over the deal.
On social media, fury among Celtic supporters has been palpable.
Some users accused the club of “selling out”, and others said they would boycott the club if the deal went through.
“@CelticFC do the correct thing and spend our money in a genocide-free zone,” posted one user.
Another said: “This deal highlights the disconnect between the current board and views of average fan [sic].”
“This deal needs to be aborted immediately. The unfortunate player will never be accepted by the majority of fans.”
Celtic FC has not yet publicly commented on the deal or responded to the online outcry. Middle East Eye has contacted the club for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Another user raised concerns about Maccabi Netanya’s supporter culture, referencing chants sung by the Israeli club’s fans.
Research published by Kick It Out Israel in October found that racist chants by Israeli football fans have risen rapidly.
Maccabi Netanya fans were recorded as making the third-most racist chants, preceded by Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
On Reddit’s CelticFC forum, the backlash was equally fierce.
“This board couldn’t be more anti-Celtic if they tried,” wrote one user.
For many Celtic fans, who draw parallels between Irish and Palestinian struggles against colonialism, conducting business with Israeli institutions represents a fundamental contradiction.
Many argued that the transaction would be akin to “funding a genocide”.
“I knew it would be bad with an Israeli club but holy fuck that is despicable,” posted another. “Celtic are actively bankrolling a genocide with this signing.”
A petition launched by fans has rapidly gained traction, with supporters arguing that completing the deal would betray the club’s values.
Scotland for Palestine, a solidarity organisation, issued a statement to The National Newspaper, noting the club was “born out of famine and injustice” to support impoverished Irish immigrants in Glasgow’s East End.
“What do Celtic fans who have consistently rallied for Palestine think about their hard-earned cash being invested towards an apartheid military occupation committing a genocide?
“The club was born out of famine and injustice and its fans stand firmly with the occupied people of Palestine – this is plain for everyone to see. Celtic Football Club has sufficient resources to seek signings elsewhere.”
