(haipo) - The suspension of the soccer game following unusual violence once again raises question marks about the functioning of the enforcement and management of sports in Israel. Is this a systemic failure? Who is responsible? And how can these serious incidents be prevented in the future? Sharp questions require sharp answers.
Police decision: a necessary step or an overreaction?
The decision to stop the game was solely the police's, out of concern for personal injury. When a qualified police officer identifies a real danger to human life, he has no choice but to order the game to be stopped. But the question arises – why was the halftime break the critical moment for the game to be broken up?
A mass evacuation of 30,000 fans during a game could have led to a greater disaster. Crowd pressure, panic, and further violence are scenarios that the police wanted to prevent, so they decided to take a tougher approach.
Why are the police absent from the north stand?
The north stand at Sammy Ofer Stadium is known as a hotbed of problems, but there is almost no permanent police presence there.
why?
In the past, police officers stationed in the stands have been violently attacked, so it was decided to avoid direct presence. However, this is a serious professional error. The police must be present in an increased and visible force, able to respond in real time to any dangerous incident.
Smuggling weapons into the fields: Who is turning a blind eye?
One of the most worrying phenomena is the smuggling of weapons, including flares, into the fields. How does this happen again and again? The answer is grim – I estimate that this is a collaboration on the part of internal elements. Based on my experience, it can be estimated that workers from within the stadium, known as "infiltrators", who have legal access to the complex, can bypass security checks and turn a blind eye to what is happening, but up to this point I have no information from an official source that this is the route through which the weapons are introduced.
Smuggling can be prevented – but we don't want to
The stadium is equipped with advanced camera systems, which successfully enforce the smoking ban. If it is possible to detect smokers, it is also possible to detect flare and firecracker smugglers. But is there a real desire to prevent the phenomenon? It seems that some prefer to avoid confrontations with the hard core of fans in the north stands and are content with only symbolic actions.
Flares: Not a toy – a real danger
Some may argue that flares are not weapons, but the opposite is true. Flares can be deadly under certain conditions – they injure, create toxic smoke, and harm the respiratory tract of spectators. Their use on the field is a crime in every sense of the word.
Who is responsible?
The direct responsibility lies with those rioters who turn the field into a battlefield. But beyond that, the Israel Police must bear full responsibility – approving a game means thorough inspections and preparation for emergency scenarios, including the smuggling of weapons.
The Haifa Municipality, which operates the stadium, cannot evade either. All employees operating the stadium, from the lowest employee to the heads of the board of directors and the CEO, must undergo polygraph tests to ensure that they did not assist in the smuggling. The burden of proof is on them.
Maccabi Haifa: Is the club doing enough?
Yaakov Shahar, the team's owner, promotes values of tolerance and contribution to the community, but in the end, this is not enough. The management must intervene and ensure that the club is free from violence. The values of sport cannot remain mere statements.
Solving the problem: Drying the egg, not killing mosquitoes
- Canceling subscriptions for extremist fans – out of 30,000 fans, there are dozens or hundreds who turn the game into a battlefield. They should be denied entry to the field.
- Changing the location of the fanatical fans – dispersing the fans of the north stand will significantly reduce the power of problematic teams.
- Polygraph tests for stadium employees – a deterrent measure that can prevent cooperation with lawbreakers.
- Heavy penalties for those suspected of smuggling weapons – anyone involved in smuggling flares must pay a heavy price.
- Haifa Municipality as an independent auditor – The municipality must tighten the terms of the agreement with Maccabi Haifa and conduct independent audits.
- Swift legal enforcement – suspects must face criminal prosecution in an expedited process, with severe punishment.
Bringing sports back to their rightful place
The fight against violence on the field must be comprehensive, determined and uncompromising. The fight against violence on the field must be comprehensive, determined and uncompromising. It is time to return sports to their rightful place – a safe and enjoyable experience for every fan.
Thank you, Mr. Borowski.
Professional, eloquent analysis that presents feasible solutions.
The helplessness of the police and the local authority allows such terrible events to occur.
Like gravity, if you don't stop and take care of it, there is no limit to the bottom.
Words are useless. Actions are worthless.
The country is full of beautiful and good laws, but there is no enforcement.
When an offender finally comes to trial, after many months of the case being heard and the punishment being light and not serious, the offenders have no fear and will return to their ways very quickly, perhaps even before the trial for the first offense.