Tel Aviv Derby Abandoned; Dozens Injured, Many Detained

The Tel Aviv derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned on Oct. 19 after violent pre-match riots at Bloomfield Stadium, during which flares, smoke grenades and fireworks were thrown onto the pitch and heavy smoke endangered spectators. Police evacuated the nearly full stadium and called off the match, saying the incidents endangered human life and caused stadium damage. Casualty and arrest figures changed as the story developed: early reports said about 12 civilians and three police were injured with nine arrested and 16 questioned, but later police statements put injuries at about 42 and said around 40 suspects had been detained, with more arrests expected. Hapoel accused police of using excessive force and indiscriminate beatings, while authorities defended their intervention as necessary for public safety. The unrest has heightened tensions around a separate security dispute in England — Birmingham’s safety panel barred Maccabi fans from next month’s Europa League trip to Aston Villa and Maccabi said it would decline any away allocation — and politicians, football bodies and Jewish groups have criticized the UK decision.