German Football Federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf took a clear stance against anti-Semitism at the Julius Hirsch Award ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you know our past, you cannot question the existence of the state of Israel,\u201d Neuendorf told the media on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He considers it \u201ca disgrace that certain things are being articulated again here in Germany and that people are not aware of the history for which we are responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The DFB is \u201cclearly on the side\u201d of the Jewish community, Neuendorf stressed.<\/p>\n
Every year, the DFB awards the Julius Hirsch prize to clubs, institutions and individuals who use football to promote democracy, human dignity and combat anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery submission (to the award) is a piece of hope for us in difficult times,\u201d Neuendorf said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s about respect, about togetherness, about everything that football should stand for. We know that this is unfortunately not the case everywhere in our society.\u201d<\/p>\n