Soccer fans riot, 6 held, after Beitar defeats Sakhnin

Israeli Arab supporters of Bnei Sakhnin pelt police with rocks after losing match 3-1 with bitter rival

By ToI Staff 6 October 2015, 12:22 am Edit
Illustrative photo of Bnei Sakhnin fans during a soccer game, February 10, 2013 (photo credit: Flash90)
Illustrative photo of Bnei Sakhnin fans during a soccer game, February 10, 2013 (photo credit: Flash90)

Bnei Sakhnin soccer fans rioted following a 3-1 defeat at their home stadium against their arch rival Beitar Jerusalem on Monday night.

Hundreds of fans of the Israeli Arab soccer club pelted police with rocks outside the Doha Stadium in the northern Israeli-Arab city of Sakhnin.

Police used crowd control methods to disperse the rioters. Six people were arrested.

Beitar fans were escorted out of the ground by police to prevent further violence. Police also put up road blocks and called in mounted police to help thwart the rioters.

The high-tension soccer match came as Israeli Arabs in Nazareth on Monday night protested Israeli policies barring Palestinians from the Temple Mount in the wake of terror attacks and numerous Jerusalem and West Bank clashes in recent days.

Sakhnin-Beitar matches in recent years have often resulted in violent confrontations, riots and multiple arrests.

Bnei Sakhnin is the only Arab-Israeli club in the Premier League, the top division in the Israeli Football Association. Its state-of-the-art football stadium and sports complex was built with millions of dollars in donations from Qatar in 2005.

The club has a traditional rivalry with Beitar Jerusalem, some of whose supporters are known for anti-Arab chanting during matches.

Beitar is the only major Israeli team not to employ Arab players, and the behavior of its fans has gotten the club into trouble with league authorities on a number of occasions.

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