Israel needs dedicated judge, prosecutor to tackle sports riots - Zohar

Published: MAY 8, 2023 17:37

Jerusalem supporters from the La Familia fan group hold up a match against Charleroi in Belgium (photo credit: UDI ZITIAT) — Jerusalem supporters from the La Familia fan group hold up a match against Charleroi in Belgium

(photo credit: UDI ZITIAT)

Fines in Israel were increased for trespassing into fields and bringing firecrackers, flares and spray cans to sporting events.

A designated judge and prosecutor to provide quick indictments against violent sports fans is part of the “ultimate solution” against a “national plague,” Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar said at the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Monday.

Zohar said that sporting events had become war zones, and parents were afraid to allow their children to attend them.

"There is almost no sporting event that does not end in violence, violence has become a culture, some people come not to support the team but to engage in violent provocations," said Zohar. "If we do not end this, we endanger the world of sports in Israel."

The Likud minister said that the current punishments for violent fans were practically non-existent. These offenders were willing to be banned from a few games.

How does Miki Zohar want to combat sports violence in Israel?

"My plan is that there will be a designated judge in the unit with a prosecutor whose mission will be to file indictments on violent incidents and thus there will be quick convictions within two to three months," said Zohar.

Likud parliament member Miki Zohar reacts during an arrangements committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, January 13, 2020. (credit: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90)

Zohar also sought to be able to allow for the ban of fans for several years in cases of violence and called for the committee to approve regulations for increasing fines for bringing equipment that facilitated violence to stadiums.

The committee agreed to increase the fines for bringing flares, firecrackers and entering a sports field in play to NIS 3,000. The fine for bringing spray cans was increased to NIS 1,500. Other objects, if the police posted not to bring them to the stadium, could lead to a NIS 500 fine.

Likud MK Tally Gotliv noted that there are some cases that shouldn't simply result in fines, as the basis of administrative actions was the immediacy of punishment and didn't correspond to the level of violence by fans.

Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovich proposed heavier fines and punishment, and for the committee to consider further how they could solve the scourge of sports violence. He said the panel should review how other countries had addressed the issue.