Last Saturday at the end of the match between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Haifa, a handful of Hapoel Tel Aviv fans violently attacked a Hapoel Haifa fan. The incident took place in front of the television cameras, in front of the security and police personnel on the spot and in front of the manager of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Rami Cohen.
Five days have passed since the shameful case and four people involved have been arrested and three of them have had their detention extended. In between, Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gabir, ordered the Drive Inn to be closed for a month and yesterday (Tuesday) he even said that a handful of Hapoel Tel Aviv fans humiliated the IDF. This is a lie, of course (reminder: Ben Gabir did not serve in the IDF for even one day). So far, a brief description of an event, which is related to the criminal world and the political world and is in no way related to sports. And this is exactly how this event should be treated.
It’s unbelievable what he says here. I heard it a few times, I told myself maybe I drank too much ouzo and I’m imagining. Israeli teams lost soldiers in this damn war, Hapoel Tel Aviv lost dozens of fans, and he’s making a spin about it, everything is screwed up and disgusting
pic.twitter.com/vaCUr6e20j— Eurozone Basketball (@EuroZoneBasket) March 26, 2024
In reality, where Israel’s Minister of National Security is a convicted felon, even a felon, who was removed from the sports fields only a month and a half ago, can come to the field and violently attack another person. In both cases, the perpetrators walked away with nothing. maybe even the other way around. The new criminals do it in front of the cameras. inside postcards. Even proudly, sad to say. The violent people are known and known to everyone, but no one does anything about them.
Three weeks ago, a handful of Hapoel Tel Aviv fans violently attacked Hapoel Holon fans at the end of the game. The attackers were photographed. The police forces at the scene saw exactly who it was. Rami Cohen, Hapoel Tel Aviv manager, saw them. Chances are high, he also knows them. Everyone including everyone saw exactly who the people were, but nothing was done.
What wonder that three weeks later a severe violent attack occurred again in the exact same place. Again, in front of the watchful eyes of the security and police, in front of the cameras and of course in front of Rami Cohen. There is no point and no need to call the attackers sports fans, there is nothing between these people and love for sports, they are violent criminals. This is the only way to treat them, but they are not treated like that.
Itamar ben Gabir was also supposed to be treated as a criminal. With 53 indictments and 8 criminal offenses, he was supposed to be removed and isolated from the sources of power in Israel. Definitely from the Ministry of National Security. But this man received and still receives legitimacy in a large part of the public and he is the one who is currently giving the orders. Like his last command, populist and scandalous as usual, to close the drive-in of Hapoel Tel Aviv. As if this block of concrete, Hapoel Tel Aviv players and the vast majority of the team’s fans are to blame for the failures of the police, which he heads and which failed to prevent the violence last Saturday.
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Collective punishments for fans are not the solution. Everyone who has been following this issue in recent years already knows this. Closing a hall or closing a stand will not solve the problem. The only solution is selective punishment. There is no need for special committees and undercover police. The violent people do it with bare faces. The closing of the hall is a reward for the criminals, and the real punishment is borne by the sports fans. But they are the last ones that interest the criminals.
In recent years, violence has become normalized in Israel. It happens everywhere: on the road, in line at the supermarket, in the media, in the Knesset and yes, even some of the sports stands were taken over by criminal forces. This is not a new phenomenon. From the hooligans in England in the 80s and 90s to the violent ultras in South America.
It also exists in Israel and here is something that does not surprise any sports fan: it exists in almost every club. in football and basketball. It exists in every club because it exists in Israeli society. It exists in Israeli society because its representatives, because its elected officials, because its minister of national security, for example, is a violent man. Wherever violence is normalized, violence will take over and push out the non-violent people. It happened in Israeli politics and here it is also happening in the sports stands.
#Violence #normal #news #site #Devar
2024-03-27 14:59:51