Maccabi Tel Aviv fans accounted for 77 racist incidents, a 60% rise from last season, while Beitar Jerusalem fans followed closely with 75 incidents. Hapoel Haifa and Ironi Kiryat Shmona tied for third place with 22 documented cases each. Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans, who had no recorded incidents last season, were responsible for 20 racist chants this year.
The report also noted a rise in disciplinary actions, with 115 cases brought before the Israel Football Association’s disciplinary court, compared to 86 last season. Beitar Jerusalem led with 34 disciplinary cases, followed by Hapoel Be’er Sheva with 17.
Despite the increase in racist incidents, the report found a 19.5% decline in violent events overall, from 144 cases last season to 117 this season. Holocaust-related slurs also dropped significantly, from 69 cases last year to 32 this season. The report attributed these declines partly to Hapoel Tel Aviv’s absence from the Premier League. The club’s fans were responsible for 17 violent incidents and 27 Holocaust-related slurs last season.
The report highlighted other irregularities, including heavy-handed police intervention. During the fourth round of matches, police entered the stands to remove pre-approved fan displays during a match between Ashdod and Maccabi Tel Aviv. There were also reports of aggressive searches and arrests of Beitar Jerusalem fans before their game against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
The “Kicking Racism and Violence Out of Soccer” program operates under the Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society, a civil society organization promoting coexistence in Israel.
Matan Segal, the program’s director, linked the rise in racist incidents to the country’s ongoing war and criticized what he described as weak enforcement.
“The data reflects the war’s impact on racist discourse in Israel, which is seeping into the stadiums,” Segal said. “It’s disappointing to see the authorities’ continued inaction. Instead of solely blaming fans, we need to recognize that most supporters are there for the love of the game and start addressing the root causes with comprehensive solutions.”
