JERUSALEM, June 9 (Reuters) - The supporters of Israeli club Betar Jerusalem were this week rated as the most racist and unruly in a season-ending report on fan behaviour at premier league matches.
The results were of little surprise to observers who
followed the racism and violence 'league table' run by the New
Israel Fund, an independent organisation striving to foster good
relations between Jews and Arabs.
The race for 'top honours' was close, according to the
organisation's media director Itzik Shenan.
'Betar finished highest in our rankings, but Maccabi Tel
Aviv were not far behind,' Shenan told Reuters on Wednesday.
Betar, a bastion of Israel's political right wing has
attracted some supporters who hold extreme views against Arabs.
When Bnei Sakhnin won the State Cup last month an unofficial
Betar fan website published a spoof death notice decrying the
achievement by the Arab side.
Club spokesman Lior Mai dismissed the fund's announcement
saying that it was no more than a public relations exercise.
'The fund would be better served if it did something to curb
real negative phenomena in Israeli soccer,' he told Israel Radio
on Tuesday.
'Betar has the best fans in Israel ... if there is a small
group which acts in an unsporting manner this does not reflect
on the majority,' he continued.
MONITORING SYSTEM
Shenan said that Betar's reaction was unhelpful and promised
that the fund would continue to monitor matches.
He explained that the group of about 35 people attend every
match to scrutinise fan behaviour. Their reports are collated
into a weekly table which is then publicised.
The system, which Shenan believes is unique, was devised by
experts and tested in the 2002-2003 season before being
implemented during the campaign which has just ended.
Points are 'awarded' for rowdiness, violence and for racist
chants.
'Our monitors are real soccer supporters, they care dearly
about their sport, they dress like the rest of the supporters
and infiltrate the areas where the hard-core fanatics sit.
'They watch and listen and mark points for both 'quality'
and 'quantity' of abuse and rowdiness,' Shenan explained.
Shenan said that the fund's work had been well received by
the police and the Israeli FA who use the findings for their own
purposes.
Many of the clubs have also taken note and have enlisted
coaches and players to educate supporters.
'We have certainly noticed that our work has helped change
the attitude of many supporters who realise that their behaviour
is wrong,' Shenan said.
Racist chants have for long been the scourge in Israeli
soccer. Violent incidents are less common, however, as alcohol
abuse is almost non-existent among fans.
Nevertheless, last season had its share of incidents in
which death threats were issued against Maccabi Tel Aviv coach
Nir Klinger after he axed the club's star player Avi Nimni.
A Hapoel Tel Aviv fan was almost killed when a flare
exploded on his head. The fan, Adham Shvita, made a remarkable
recovery and has since added his own voice to crack down on
violence.
Shenan said that Israel's problems on the stands were unique
because of the tension between Jews and Arabs which are a result
of the long-standing Middle East conflict.
'The challenges we face in trying to wipe out hatred are not
seen anywhere else in the world. Although there are racist
chants against black players, these have been reduced somewhat
compared to the tension between Arabs and Jews,' he said.
