Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed After Violent Riots
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was filled with smoke prior to the anticipated start
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The domestic football league rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was cancelled ahead of kick-off on Sunday, after what law enforcement labeled as "civil unrest and major clashes".
"Many of smoke bombs and flares were thrown," law enforcement stated on online platforms, adding "this cannot be considered a football game, this is unrest and significant aggression".
A dozen civilians and several law enforcement members were injured, officials confirmed, while nine people were taken into custody and numerous others questioned by police.
The disturbances happen just a short time after officials in the United Kingdom stated that followers of the club cannot be permitted to attend the international tournament game at Aston Villa in England in November because of security issues.
The local club condemned the derby cancellation, accusing authorities of "gearing up for a war, not a game", even during meetings in the build-up to the much-expected fixture.
"The alarming incidents outside the stadium and due to the irresponsible and outrageous judgment not to hold the fixture only demonstrate that the authorities has assumed command over the sport," the club said in a statement.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has declined to speak, merely stating the fixture was abandoned.
The decision by the local safety committee to ban the team's supporters from the Birmingham game on the sixth of November has triggered widespread criticism.
The government officials has later announced it is seeking to cancel the ban and exploring what additional resources might be necessary to ensure the game can be conducted securely.
The English club notified their security personnel that they could choose not to participate at the game, explaining they understood that some "might feel uneasy".
On Thursday, local authorities stated it endorsed the prohibition and designated the match as "potentially dangerous" based on reports and earlier occurrences.
That included "serious fights and discrimination incidents" between the Dutch team and their supporters before a match in Amsterdam in the previous year, when over sixty individuals were arrested.
There have been protests at multiple games over the war in Gaza, such as when Israel played the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest football World Cup qualifiers.
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