PM 'appalled' by Betar fans' behavior

**Updated Information 11/08/2007
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B”H

Beilin said,

"The managers of Betar should rid the club of the wayward fans. It cannot be that [Betar owner Arkadi] Gaydamak and [Betar Jerusalem Chairman] Eli Arazi will just speak with them - they have to see to it that these people are kept away from the match."

I assume, in order to do this, they will put up a giant statue to Rabin at the Betar stadium and make everyone who is going in bow to it?

He is the god of the left, the graven idol of the secular church of Israel.

OK, I have a halachic question: if we know that Rabin has become an idol to the secular left, wouldn’t it be assur for us to give a moment of silence to him—wouldn’t that be like idol worship??

M
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JPost.com » Israel » Article
Nov 5, 2007 10:08 | Updated Nov 5, 2007 18:31
By JPOST.COM STAFF
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1192380737123&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, known as a die-hard Betar Jerusalem fan, joined politicians condemning Betar supporters for booing during a moment of silence for Yitzhak Rabin, held before the match with Maccabi Haifa at Kiryat Eliezer on Sunday.

Betar Jerusalem fans.
Photo: Asaf Kliger [file]

"I am ashamed and appalled," the prime minister said Monday. Olmert said that the authorities would take a zero-tolerance approach towards this kind of behavior.

Earlier, Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin has asked Science, Culture, and Sport Minister Ghaleb Majadle to ascertain whether his ministerial authority authorizes him to cancel government funding for the Betar Jerusalem soccer team, as well as prohibit Betar from playing in the Premier League.

The match coincided with the 12th anniversary of the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, and a moment of silence was held before the match began.

Betar fans, however, did not observe the moment of silence, booing and whistling instead while the players of both teams stood on the pitch. Fans were also heard chanting songs of praise in honor of Rabin's murderer, Yigal Amir. The Jerusalem team's fan base is known for its staunchly right-wing makeup, and notorious for recurring expressions of racism against Arabs.

The Israel Football Association said Monday it would hold the team up for disciplinary action. IFA head Avi Luzon told Army Radio that "these people should be kept off the pitch. This is not a small bunch. If we were talking about just a few fans, we could handle the problem easily.

"The managers of Betar should rid the club of the wayward fans. It cannot be that [Betar owner Arkadi] Gaydamak and [Betar Jerusalem Chairman] Eli Arazi will just speak with them - they have to see to it that these people are kept away from the match."

Following Sunday's match, MK Ophir Paz-Pines (Labor) said he planned to bring up the Betar fans' outrageous behavior for discussion in the Knesset. "We cannot tolerate such behavior, especially on the day of [Rabin's] murder," said Paz-Pines.

MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL) proposed an urgent Knesset discussion over the incident. "We are talking about thousands of fans for whom racism became a trademark."

Labor MK Collete Avital appealed to Gaydamak: "As someone who wants to run for Jerusalem mayor, [Gaydamak's] silence over the behavior of his club's fans is outrageous, raises questions about his ability to lead and proves that leadership cannot be bought with money."

Gaydamak on Monday condemned the fans' behavior, saying he was ashamed of them.