Police Violence at the Tel Aviv Derby
- ACRI
- Oct 23
- 1 min read
On October 19, 2025, a soccer match was scheduled to take place between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv (the Derby). The police decided to cancel the match a few minutes before it was due to start, after pyrotechnics were thrown from the stands of Hapoel Tel Aviv fans, some of which hit police officers and other fans. The fans were asked to disperse, but from the moment they left the stadium, the police acted with arbitrary and unbridled violence. Documentation demonstrates that the police kicked, punched, choked, and used disproportionate force against fans, and mounted police trampled fans, even when they were not being met with any resistance. Some of the officers made sure to conceal their identities by removing their name tags, wearing helmets that hid their faces, and sometimes by dressing in civilian clothing.
In an appeal to the police and to the Department for the Investigation of Police Officers, Yotam Rotfeld and Attorney Nitsan Ilani argue that the officers acted contrary to the law and police procedures, and that their conduct caused physical and psychological harm to the fans. They emphasize this is an increasingly widespread pattern of behavior by police at mass public events and sporting events. ACRI is demanding a thorough investigation of the incidents, prosecution to the fullest extent of the law against the violent officers and commanders, and a that proper procedures and conduct be reviewed.
ACRI’s appeal, October 22, 2025 (Heb)
