By Mark Baber
September 3 – Football in Israel, already suffering from problems relating to the state’s relationship with Palestinine and racism at top clubs is facing a major crisis as the Israeli Football Association says it will cancel all league matches if a recent ban on playing on the Sabbath is not lifted.
As the influence of the ultra-orthodox population in Israel grows, tensions with other groups have been sharpening, especially over observance of the Sabbath – and for football this dispute has now come to a head as a labour tribunal ruled in August that matches should not be played on Saturdays as has often been the case in Israel.
Labour Court judge Ariela Giltzer-Katz ruled last month that a National League match between Ashdod SC and Bnei Lod should be postponed as players can’t be forced to play during Shabbat after a group of players (including Avi Ivgy from Maccabi Herzliya, Yossi Bitton of Hapoel Jerusalem and Israel Rosh of Hapoel Ramat Gan) appealed a league decision to increase the number of games played on Saturday.
Giltzer-Katz decreed that, “The holding of soccer matches on Shabbat without approval from the Ministry of Economy is a criminal offense and I will not approve it.”
Now Eitan Dotan, an Israeli FA spokesman, has told press agency AFP that: “If the government denies us authorisation to play on the Sabbath, all matches, including the national league and youth championships, will be cancelled until further notice from September 12.”
According to Dotan: “It all depends on Economy Minister Aryeh Deri, who has sole authority to grant exemptions to activities permitted on the Sabbath.”
For the Israeli FA it is important matches can be played on Saturday afternoons as many people have returned to work on a Sunday.
Unfortunately for the Israeli FA and the future of football in Israel, Deri, who will be making the decision, is the Chairman of the ultra-orthodox Shass party and has stated that “we need to take into account footballers who refuse to play on the Sabbath and find a solution which could include playing matches on Sunday, for example.”
The Shass party has been at the forefront of moves to increase observance of the Sabbath, although its record on defending the rights of minorities other than the Haredi is poor, to say the least.
Deri himself has proven to be eminently corruptible in the past, having spent years in prison for accepting a bribe whilst Interior Minister, and was even described by the founder of Shass as a “thief” and “evil”. Shass are dependent on a measure of tolerance from more secular Israeli factions to regularly enjoy political power as part of the ruling coalitions in Israel, so it will be interesting to see if Deri can be persuaded, one way or another, to back the Israeli FA position on the issue.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1735043752labto1735043752ofdlr1735043752owedi1735043752sni@r1735043752ebab.1735043752kram1735043752