Tel-Aviv Derby Postponed Following Major Disturbances
The sports venue in Tel Aviv was filled with smoke ahead of the scheduled start
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The domestic football league rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was abandoned before kick-off on the weekend, after what law enforcement described as "civil unrest and violent riots".
"Dozens of smoke bombs and flares were thrown," authorities announced on digital channels, noting "this is not a sporting event, it constitutes unrest and major hostilities".
A dozen people and several police personnel were hurt, police said, while several individuals were taken into custody and numerous others questioned by police.
The unrest happen just a short time after representatives in the Britain said that followers of the club should not be allowed to go to the Europa League match at Aston Villa in England the following month because of public safety worries.
Hapoel Tel Aviv condemned the game abandonment, accusing law enforcement of "getting ready for a conflict, not a game", even during discussions in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated encounter.
"The alarming events outside the venue and due to the ill-considered and unacceptable decision to abandon the match only show that the Israel Police has seized authority in the game," the club said in a statement.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained silent, only acknowledging the game was called off.
The judgment by the local safety committee to exclude club followers from the English fixture on 6 November has sparked broad condemnation.
The UK government has later announced it is working to overturn the restriction and exploring what additional resources might be required to guarantee the fixture can be hosted safely.
Villa told their stadium staff that they could choose not to participate at the game, saying they acknowledged that some "could be worried".
On the previous day, West Midlands Police stated it supported the ban and designated the fixture as "high risk" based on information and past events.
That encompassed "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" between the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a match in the Netherlands in November 2024, when over sixty individuals were arrested.
There have been rallies at various sporting events over the conflict in Gaza, such as when Israel competed against the Scandinavian team and Italy in current qualification games.
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ReleasedAugust 16
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