IFA bans Beitar J'lem fans from 2 home games for booing slain PM
Beitar crowd booed mention of Rabin's name, hailed assassin Yigal Amir at Sunday match against Maccabi Haifa.
By Rami Hipsh, The Associated Press and Moshe Boker Tags: Israel soccer Yitzhak RabinIn the wake of the public outrage and the wave of condemnations from politicians spanning the political spectrum, the Israel Football Association ruled Thursday that the football club Beitar Jerusalem will play two home games without admitting entry to patrons. Beitar management has indicated that it would appeal the decision, Israel Radio reported.
The decision is designed to punish the club just days after its fans whistled and booed at the mention of slain former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's name at a moment of silence before Sunday's nationally televised soccer match between Beitar and Maccabi Haifa at Kiryat Eliezer Stadium in Haifa.
The soccer federation's disciplinary committee found the fans guilty of "unsportsmanlike behavior," according to a statement on the federation's Web site.
"It must be emphasized that the event ... in which we remember the day a prime minister in Israel was murdered is a day that unifies all those for whom democracy is valued and important, without any political differences," the committee wrote.
The IFA tribunal met Wednesday night to reach a verdict on Beitar following a tense hearing over the club's responsibility for fan behavior.
While Beitar chair Eli Arazi condemned the fans' behavior, he also insisted that they consisted of a minuscule part of the whole fan base, for which collective punishment was inappropriate.
At one point he said he had considered resigning in the wake of the incident, but that such a move "wouldn't change anything."
Said Arazi, "What, we educated them? Many shouted against Rabin, children who don't know who he is. There are cases of flag burning, of not standing at attention in Memorial Day ceremonies. That's democracy."
The judges did not reach a final verdict before press time. Arazi lashed out at the press for its bias against his club.
"For four days they're only dealing with Beitar," he complained. "It's easy for the media to attack Beitar Jerusalem."
While Beitar's counsel argued that no IFA regulation empowered it to put Beitar on trial for Sunday's incident, the judges explained that the offenses Sunday fall under the rules of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Arazi and prosecutor Shalom Ibn Ezra exchanged harsh accusations during the hearing. "We know you're against us," Arazi said to Ibn Era, while the prosecutor retorted, "I suggest you don't behave like you're fans."
Arazi told the judges that the incident was a case of "hooliganistic behavior." When asked to explain the sudden decision to put a team on trial for its fans' behavior, Ibn Ezra responded, "I am to blame for not putting previous incidents on trial, but this is a very serious problem in Israeli sports. The Supreme Court told me in the past I can't put fan cursing and comments on trial, but this is an exceptional, serious incident."
During the hearing, the judges viewed three minutes from the Channel 10 broadcast, trying to determine whether the fans just booed Rabin or also shouted praises for his murderer. The hearing ended without resolving the main issue on what exactly the fans did or shouted.
Beitar asked that if it should be found guilty of any offense, the punishment should be suspended. The club argued a punishment such as banishing the fans from games would lead to lawsuits by subscribers, as well as upset its plan to divide up attendence to reduce violence among Beitar fans.
|
Beitar Jerusalem soccer fans celebrating at a rally. (Archive Photo: Sefi Magrizo) |
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
please let us all know when this democracy finally arrives because as of yet all i see is a dictatorship running our country.our prime minister and his cabinet do not practice democracy-------they defy the will of the majority of us.contrary to "their opinions of us?"we are not masochists-----far from it.
Isn't it ironic to listen to an Israeli whine about collective punishment?
when you look at it, Olmert and the left have about as mcuh effect on my like as that of an ant. which is overstateing their status. Israel has an uncanny ability to allways do what the people in charge least expect, something that always goes aginst what they are trying to create. just look at the oslo accords not to mention ALL other attemps. They call for peace with Syria, give back land and all, but it just so happens that the SYrian border is statisicly, by fact, the only border with not once single incident since the last war with them, alebeit JOrdan with whom we have a PEACE AGREMENT AND CONCESIONS NOT TO METION EGYPT, AND WITH ALL OF THEM WE HAVE HAD DEATHS, ARMS SMUGILING ETC, surly a border with no trouble is allready peace even though you don;t have an official agrrement? the fact that they want to gove away something to get what we allready have is the most overlooked fact of everything that is happening.
well bloody said!!!!! you hit the hammer on the nail. even in Engalnd during a socer match you can get away with singing """gas the jew, gas the jew"" refering to the owner of chelsea football team, the team that is world renowed for being the most violent and the beginners of football hooganlism.
Israel is morally corrupt and divided. Significant parts of the population supporting the assassination of its democratically elected leader. What democractic culture is that? One without values, one that is as hollow as its leaders.
just because boyeing a salin prime ministar at a soccar game without being punishied, arrested or the like is the hall mark of democracy and just because Rabin Syndrome is being forced upon us no matter who we are i am now a LIFE LONG SUPPORTER OF BEITAR JEUSALEM, SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES TO BEAT BACK THE LEFTIST INTENTION FOR DICTAORSHIP I WILL FIGHT THEM, NOT BECAUSE I AM A RIGHTIST BUT BECAUSE I HATE ANYTHING TO DO WITH OPRESSION AND COMUNISTITC, STALIN , NAZI LIKE BRAIN WASHING PROPOGANDA, I WILL WEAR A BEITRA SHIRT AS I FIGHT THESE SCUM BAGS WHO IN THE NAME OF PEACE DO NOGTHING BUT CRATE ENSLAVEMENT
Am I happy I didn't make Aliyah! You Israelis live in a Hellhole. In the US I can boo whomever I want, Roosevelt, Carter, Hillary, even George Washington and not fear any reprisals. You Israelis get what you deserve.
The rowdy behavior of some Beitar fans was inappropriate. That said, the injection of a political agendum, namely the memorialization of not only the late Yitzhak Rabin, but the so-called "Rabin legacy" as well, was even more inappropriate in a sporting event. The fact that not everyone in Israel holds one of the Left's cherished sacred cows to be sacred, and that some even "have the gall" to hold it as anathema, has aroused the ire of the Leftist-controlled media. What is really wrong, however, is not the promotion of or opposition to a particular political position, but rather something very, very basic in Israeli society and its educational system. One has only to ride the buses and hear the garbage coming out of the mouths of secular youth to know that Israeli values, or lack of them, are problematic. That is what really has to be addressed, by leaders NOT judged to be corrupt.
for the fool he was.
Rabin was no heroe. He was proud of murdering Jewish holocaust survivors on the Altalena. His Oslo Agreement brought Israel tens of thousands of maimed and murdered civilians. AND we still don't know the complete details about his assassination. The extreme left is outraged because many are questioning their politically motivated lionization of Rabin. There is no evidence the Israeli public is outraged by booing at a sporting event. You can impose bans but you can't stop people from knowing when they are being manipulated and fighting back.
If anyone needed further proof that the Israeli legal system is a joke, just read Haaretz. Why should the owners of the football team be punished because some hooligans were not on board with the Ashkanazi Elite in Tel Aviv, to agree that Rabin's murder deserved a moment of silence. Why not blame the entire educational system in Israel for not educating the public properly and fire all the teachers, principals and Ministers in charge of Jewish Education?
What's next ? Internet Regulations, 1 Child Pass, wearing blue Uniforms for Work. I am really against what happened in this Stadium but now for the sake of free Speech; Rabin= buhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Amir= bravo
Banning Fans from attending games? Are you joking?? Oh yeah. Silly me. I forgot. There is NO first ammendment in Israel, and free speech depends on if the words flowing are supportive of the left wind government or not. As long as it is leftist; it is OK. On with the fiction that Israel is a free country. A socialist one? Yes. Not a free and open one.
who is kidding whom?...what bullshit and what outrage??
It is a shame to mix sports and politics. Big Brother is watching us even on the soccer field...
pur War opening days and hundreds of fallen Israeli soldiers then. In September 1973 Rabin stated : "Probability of a war with Syria is zero"
Hahahahahahahahahaha.... Ultra-Nationalist swine
freedom of speech cuts both ways
your statement is one that only a non-thinking person would make. If you're a thinking person then please repost. I am not a football fan and whether I agree with their actions or not I would never make a statement like yours! You are G*d? A member of some super race than looks down on others and judges? A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own. Is that you? I hope not! Mike
Almost everything that I read apart from left wing articles said that perhaps the fans were wrong to express themselves in such a way but added that they had the right to express their feelings. Public outrage - NO ! Only people like Beilin who won't be in the next Knesset and our soon to be gone PM who is on the top of the corruption list condemned the fans. Let's have honest reporting please and not this slanted stuff. It fools nobody but people that probably won't even vote! -- Mike
1. Alatlena where a boat loaded with weapons for jewish defens was fired at by the leftist Hagana for political reason and how the sailers where than shot at while trying to rescue ththemself from drowning. Rabin was commander of the Haggana-unit. 2. The loads of weapon he gave to the arabs that have been used kill hundreds of Jews. 3, The land he gave to the arabs, from which countless terror has since come to us. 4. The incitement and hate against settlers and religious Jews that was part of his political agenda.
they're right... they are simply stating a point of view and as grotesque as it may be, i fully support their right to speak their minds
here we go again...our people in power are SO brave and strong when it comes to condemning and punishing the Jews, but how quick they are to either turn the other cheek or offer excuses when it comes down to our enemies. It is not our enemies that we should be scared of it is the idiots that have power in this country, they all make me sick?can?t wait to see what Olmart will give away in Anapolis
so, they booed when rabin was mentioned. must be a crime. i read somewhere that one guy was jailed in russia during the stalin's time for wrapping his dirty clothes in a newspaper that had a large picture of one of the soviet leaders. luckily he was released soon, after it was 'found' that that particular leader was 'enemy of the people'. will we imitate this. next time you will be fined/jailed for making gestures next to posters of rabin.
childish behavior from hooligans but what happenned to free speech. they dont like rabin, its stupid but its aload
By punishing someone for expressing an opinion, no matter how much you disagree with it, you undermine your authority and strengthen his opinion. The Israel Football Association should stick to sports and stay out of politics!
The culture of the secular left wing in this country still betrays its Bolshevik roots. Grow up already and stop whining !
if they tried to do this to arabs, the left would hace a field day accussing the country of aniti-democratic policies. i guess, if you don't agree with the left or the media you have to just keep your mouth shut while the left & arabs can continue booing & name calling anything they don't agree with. shame!!!!!!!
rammed down their throats as if he were some kind of saviour. Who knows how many MORE lives he was ready to declare as the "cost of peace". Rabin (God please forgive me) while a decent military man was a total failure when it came to protecting the lives and interests of the people of the state of Israel.
Many of victims of Rabin's Oslo don't have a marmor grave like him. They and those maimed for life should be remembered,not the unworthy PM elevated to a Catholic Saint status.
this dicission is riddicoulous !!!! is it a country with free speech or not ? I think that this whole remembrance of rabin in the stadium was one big joke. it doesn't belong there.
just another example of how this country trips over itself to show how lost it is. these are fans, which is a short word for "fanatics." they can scream whatever and whenever they wish, as long as they don't scream "there's a fire." in america if fans interrupt the national anthem then maybe the fans would get removed for being unruly-maybe. but soccer fans worldwide are given lots of leeway to go nuts. why would being free with speech in a political context be any different from anything else? it wouldn't-except in israel, where they are afraid of their own shadow. as don wrote, if the country cannot handle it, then shut down the club. otherwise, just shut up. as for esther, why are you not looking to censure the arab fans who boo and hiss when hatikva is played? oh-I know why-because those poor arabs are just so tortured and beaten down by us, we have to understand they are just venting. (oh please) I encourage any and all behavior exposing the disease of hypocrisy here
ISRAEL 2007 = LEFT-WING DICTATORSHIP!!!!RABIN WAS NOT G-D!!ONLY G-D IS G-D!!!
that's the question. they are racist biggots, hateful, pro-murder, and as vile and offensive as can be. if beitar offers a forum for these scum bags to get together in public then close the club.
The behavior of the fans was boorish, improper and embarassing. Was it criminal? Was it beyond the bounds of free speech? The Soccer Federation's interference in this matter, though, seems to be taking a ride on the problem all stadiums face from unruly fans. In the US, the land of free speech, we often hear "Kill the Umpire" but nothing is done. Actions are to be punished not verbal expressions.
They can boo and curse whomever they like, if it's football related, but they should be censured and punished for cursing and maligning a murdered Prime Minister at the very moment of national rememberance and mourning. They even identified with his murderer. There is no civilized country in which such a public performance would go uncensured.
So Beitar fans booed against rabin... fine.. When Arabs fans from Sachnin boo the Israeli national anthem and makes silly gestures when its being played and typically scream slurs, while wave PLO flags..thats ok? I just dont get it...