Hapoel Tel Aviv fans cause a nationwide scandal in Israel / News - Basketnews.com

Some Hapoel Tel Aviv fans started singing songs condemning the police before a moment of silence that was dedicated to the fallen officers during the war in Israel. It sparked a huge scandal in the country and forced a response from the government as well.

Credit: IPA/SIPA - Scanpix Credit IPA/SIPA - Scanpix

The Israeli Winner League returned to action last week. However, it was marked by a scandal during the game between Hapoel Be'er Sheva and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv on Sunday.

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The match was dedicated to the fallen police officers during Operation Iron Swords, which was launched in response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. As it was announced before the start of the game, multiple Hapoel Tel Aviv fans started booing and singing songs condemning police.

Namely, the club's ultras have had multiple altercations with local law enforcement throughout the last several years, which may have sparked such an inappropriate reaction.

It is worth mentioning that only a small portion of Hapoel Tel Aviv's fans resorted to such actions.

All sides almost immediately condemned the gesture.

"I am ashamed with tears in my eyes and deeply apologize, this is not the spirit of Hapoel that I was raised on in 67 years of my life, and which we have seen in the last two months, the true spirit of Hapoel fans," Hapoel's president, Abraham Zaidenberg, posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"We would like to apologize to the family, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and the Israel Police officers who lost many members protecting civilians on Black Sabbath. We will act so that such an event does not happen again," Hapoel Tel Aviv announced later that day.

The events sparked a response from the Israeli Police and the government.

"The behavior of the Hapoel TA fans this evening is a black stain that will accompany these fans all their lives. Their behavior hurt the families of the policemen who were present in the hall and hurt the Israel Police. I expect severe punishment for these fans, and I promise the families of the police officers and soldiers of the MGB (Israel Border Police) and IDF (Israel Defense Forces) who fell in defense of the settlements in the south and the State of Israel that we will continue to tell about their heroism every day and hold ceremonies in their memory, in the sports fields as well," said Yaakov Shabtai, the Commissioner of Israel Police.

"I condemn the behavior of the Hapoel Tel Aviv fans who dishonored the memory of the martyrs of the Israel Police and the Border Guard who fell while sacrificing their lives for the State of Israel. The management of the basketball association should denounce those vile fans and keep them away from the games," said Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security of Israel.

The league issued a statement as well and expressed hope that Hapoel would do the right thing and expel these members of the ultra group.

"The basketball association condemns the behavior of Hapoel Tel Aviv 'fans' at the memorial and recognition ceremony for the policemen who fell in the battles in the south. It is unfortunate and sad that a group of anarchists humiliates tens of thousands of players and hundreds of thousands of fans. We hope that the club and its leaders know how to throw out these people who lack culture and morality," the league's administration said.

"We understand that there are disputes between the fans and the police, but there are things above that. You have to behave according to the occasion," a family member of a fallen police officer concluded.

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