Unbelievably, shocking footage has emerged of West Ham supporters singing anti-Semitic football lyrics at an Orthodox Jewish man, as he took his seat on a flight to Belgium.
According to reports, the supporters were on board a plane bound for Genk where David Moyes’ side were playing in Thursday’s Europa League.
A man wearing religious clothing walks down the aisle. However, a small group of passengers can be heard singing infidel songs about Jewish men’s penitences.
Tonight, the club told MailOnline that it was ‘appalled” by the video and promised to ban any identified individuals.
Surprising footage has emerged showing West Ham fans shouting anti-Semitic football songs at an Orthodox Jewish man while he sits on a flight to Belgium.
A man wearing religious clothing walks down the aisle. A small group of passengers can be heard singing infidel songs about Jewish men’s penises as he goes.
The men use “sick chant” to refer to Tottenham, West Ham’s fiercest rivals. Tottenham is also home to a large Jewish community.
The video was shared on social media on Thursday night. It caused fury among many. Many called for the arrest of the supporters and for the Premier League club’s enforcement of its punishments
Ian Austin, a life peer at the House of Lords who was also a Labour MP, tweeted: “Disgusting. It’s not anti-Tail song, it’s antisemitic. Poor guy. It’s racist abuse. They shouldn’t have been kicked off the flight.
‘Will @WestHam identify the fans and ban them. Will @metpolice arrest and prosecute them? I’ll be writing @karren_brady [West Ham’s vice-chairman] about this.’
Jewish writer Michael Dickson added: ‘Disgusting anti-Jewish chant towards a Jewish man by a crowd of fans.
“The club and all people of goodwill should condemn this. Stop racism in football and ban these “fans”.
After a late Thomas Soucek goal, West Ham tied Genk at 2-2. This was after Said Benrahma’s earlier brace had been scored by the hosts.
A spokesperson for West Ham United stated that the organization was shocked by the viral video and condemned the actions of the individuals involved.
“The Club is in contact with the airline, and other authorities to identify the individuals.
“We remain unambiguous in our stance – We have a zero tolerance approach to any form discrimination.
The Club will issue an indefinite ban to any individuals identified. The Football Club’s core values are equality, diversity, inclusion and we don’t welcome anyone who doesn’t share these values.
The Metropolitan Police was contacted for comment.