A spokesperson for the Centre for Information and Documentation Israel has called a trending topic hashtag on social media site Twitter “highly distasteful”. The hashtag #jodengaaneraan which loosely translates as the 'Jews have had it' refers to an upcoming football match between Amsterdam’s Ajax team and Rotterdam’s Feyenoord in just over a week’s time.

The Amsterdam team Ajax is often referred to as being 'Jewish'. This originates from the 1930s when the club's former stadium was built near a major Jewish area of Amsterdam. Few of the club's supporters or players were Jewish, but fans later starting referring to themselves as 'Jews' or 'Super Jews', even waving Israeli flags and singing Hava Nagila.

Similarly historical, Twitter references to Feyenoord are often accompanied by the hashtag #BommenopRotterdam (Bombs on Rotterdam) because of the bombing of the city during World War II. Some of the tweets link to images referring to the match.

The director general of the CIDI Ronny Naftaniel says the organisation has been trying to ban the hashtag, but so far without avail. “We have not been able to contact Twitter.”

A trending topic is a subject that is being referred to frequently by many people on Twitter. The hashtag was also trending worldwide.

“Of course, it is about football and of course it is about supporters. But if you say this with your head held high, apparently with a certain amount of pride, then you are on the same level as the Nazis,” says Mr Naftaniel.

The CIDI director general declined to say whether the words are tantamount to committing an offence: “It’s definitely hurtful”. The CIDI has been cooperating with the Dutch football association to ban anti-Semitic taunts in football stadiums.

Many of the reactions on Twitter condemn the hashtag. Earlier tweets appear to be orchestrating the hashtag as a trending topic.

(nc/imm)