UN Calls Maccabi TA Player Response To Fan’s Attack ‘Disproportionate’

Tel Aviv, November 4 – A Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer player who defended himself against the assault of a fan who ran onto the field now faces condemnation from the United Nations for his actions.

In last night’s match between Tel Aviv’s rival HaPoel and Maccabi clubs, a fan of HaPoel ran onto the field and began kicking and kitting Eran Zahavi, who responded with blows of his own. A referee issued Zahavi a red card, as the game rules prohibit a player from getting involved in on-field violence. As Zahavi and other players protested the call, other fans stormed onto the field, forcing the officials to call the game at 33 minutes and leaving the score tied at 1. Dozens of fans, including the attacker, were arrested.

The United Nations Security Council immediately convened and quickly passed a motion condemning the player for his disproportionate response. The Council further denounced Maccabi for flagrantly displaying yellow jerseys when playing their red-shirted opponents, displaying what the Council called, “an appalling lack of sensitivity” to the wishes of the thousands of HaPoel partisans present in the stands.

Police have provided Zahavi and his family with around-the-clock protection out of concern that supporters of HaPoel or the attacker may harass them. The Security Council denounced the police for the discriminatory action, calling on them to provide the same protection to those HaPoel supporters.

The UN statement also emphasized that the man who attacked Zahavi was shirtless, a fact that could only demonstrate the desperation born of economic straits that drives people to violence. Some fans paid hundreds of shekels for a seat at the game, noted the Council, and Zahavi should have taken into account the volatility of the atmosphere before engaging in the provocation of doing his job for a rival team.