Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., December 31, 2008 Tevet 4, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:12 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

Games, practices banned in 40-km radius around Gaza Strip By Moshe Boker Military authorities yesterday put a halt to all organized soccer matches and practices within a 40-kilometer radius of the Gaza Strip, the Israel Football Assocation announced. According to regulations the IFA received from the Home Front Command, the association will not hold any soccer games within missile range, including in Ashkelon, Netivot, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod and Kiryat Malakhi. Soccer officials were surprised to learn, in conversation with the military, that regular practices would also be forbidden within this area. The army took command of the stadiums in Kiryat Gat and Netivot, turning the first into a helicopter landing pad and the Netivot stadium into a dressing facility for the command's headquarters. Advertisement "The Home Front Command's order is unequivocal - there will be no games or practices held in the region from Netivot-Ofakim to the Ashdod-Kiryat Malakhi region, said Avi Levy, head of the IFA's amateur leagues division, yesterday. He also told Haaretz that his staff wanted the order in writing so they could decide what to do next. Senior police officials also spoke with the IFA yesterday, making it clear that beyond the orders regarding the south the IFA is banned from holding games between Jewish and Arab teams as well as between Arab teams because the police forbid sending Jewish referees to these games. According to the agreement between the IFA and Toto's betting council, Toto will fund policing on the pitches and the police informed the IFA that it does not have enough personnel to provide security for all the games. The consequence is that if the police won't send officers to the games, teams which cannot afford to pay professional security staff will have to decide today how to operate within the context of the new guidelines. The IFA yesterday postponed a women's game between Hapoel Beer Sheva and Holon. It also accepted Beer Sheva's request to postpone the match because many of Beer Sheva's players live in Kiryat Gat and Ashkelon. A scrimmage between Ashdod S.C. and Maccabi Tel Aviv scheduled for yesterday was also canceled. Ashdod heads down south today to practice at Kibbutz Elot in the Arava. "We'll do whatever they tell us," said Ashdod coach Yossi Mizrahi yesterday. "Meanwhile, Ashdod is doing alright. The players are talking about the situation, there's some black humor but I hope we'll get past this and really hope the foreigners who are supposed to join us will come despite the situation." Emergency funds Southern teams inundated IFA offices with faxes yesterday asking for help in finding alternative pitches. Avi Luzon, the IFA chair, ordered officials to find immediate solutions and to allocate emergency funds. The IFA decided to let Hapoel Ashkelon practice in the national stadium in Ramat Gan and agreed to fund Ironi Netivot and Ironi Sderot to practice in Beer Sheva at a cost of tens of thousands of shekels. Luzon is postponing any scheduled home games in the south during this period because he doesn't want to force any team to play a home game in an away venue. The IFA will decide in the next day or two about games scheduled this weekend in light of the new regulations. Away games also depend on military guidelines. "In principle, Hapoel Ashkelon has no problem playing at Nes Tziona," said the IFA's Avi Levy, "but if the Home Front Command tells us that Ashkelon, Netivot, Kiryat Gat and Kiryat Malakhi residents have to stay within a protected area and not be outside, we'll be forced to postpone these games, too, even if the teams have games in the center of the country, because essentially just leaving their homes for the locker rooms could be dangerous." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Iranian Jews protest Members of Tehran's small Jewish community demonstrate against IDF operation in Gaza. Missile's view Watch Israel's attack on Gaza from the perspective of the missile.

Read & React Rockets fired from Gaza kill 2 Israelis within hour Responses: 224 ANALYSIS / Hamas is hoping for an IDF ground operation Responses: 135 Grossman / Is Israel imprisoned in the ceremony of war? Responses: 117 Prolonged Gaza operation spells trouble for Israel Responses: 46 Chicago synagogue firebombed; police probe possible link to Gaza violence Responses: 36 More Headlines 00:36 Gaza rockets strike Be'er Sheva area for first time 23:43 Olmert: Gaza offensive to go on until Israel's aims achieved 00:23 IAF unleashes massive strike on Hamas tunnel network near Rafah 23:57 Barak asks cabinet to approve emergency call-up of 2,520 reservists 21:17 ANALYSIS / Hamas is hoping for an IDF ground operation in Gaza 00:11 Ex-U.S. Army engineer Kadish pleads guilty to spying for Israel 22:21 WATCH: Israel's attack on Gaza from the missiles' viewpoint 16:50 IN PICTURES / Firestorm over Gaza 00:45 VIDEO / Mubarak: We'll open Gaza crossing only if PA takes control 22:23 Quartet calls for immediate truce between Israel and Gaza 22:22 IDF war games predict look of Gaza ground operation 21:05 Iran clerics recruit Islamist fighters to aid Hamas' battle against Israel 22:29 Israeli boy, 3, lightly wounded by Palestinian stone-throwers 17:04 Elder child of Chabad Mumbai attack victims dies of long-term illness 14:57 No rest for the shell-shocked in Ashkelon shelters 02:09 Throngs at Ashdod funeral mark 'war against Israeli normalcy' Previous Editions Select Day 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 22 dec 21 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec

Special Offers Advertisement Summer in Israel Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009 State of Israel Bonds During this time of market volatility, Israel bonds can help. SURF RAMBAM Keep current about new-wave medical care, education and research. Summer Camp in Israel The best place for your children this summer Academic Studies in Israel All the Q & A at the IDC HERZLIYA Open House, January 9,2009 Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved