Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel's Supreme Court has called on the government to explain why football games are allowed on the traditional Jewish day of rest, court documents seen Friday by AFP showed. The intervention reopens the thorny issue of matches played on the Sabbath, which lasts from sunset Friday until the same time Saturday. Observant […]

Zurich (AFP) – Palestinian hopes that FIFA would get tough on Israel were muted Friday when world football's governing body put off a decision on Israeli clubs based in settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Palestine Football Association this week called on FIFA to either expel the six clubs in settlements, which are illegal […]

Ariel (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – At an average match, Ariel City attract fewer than 100 spectators at home in a West Bank settlement — yet they have been called one of Israel's "most important" football clubs. That's because they, along with five other Israeli clubs, play their matches in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel on Sunday charged nineteen members of La Familia, a group of far-right football fans of Beitar Jerusalem, with attempted murder, the police said. The supporters, who were arrested last month, faced charges including "attempted murder", "aggravated sabotage", "racist offences" and "illegal possession of weapons", the police said in a statement. They […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel has arrested 56 members of La Familia, a group of far-right football fans of the Beitar Jerusalem team over "violence and weapon smuggling", the police said on Tuesday. "The arrests, carried out overnight Monday to Tuesday, were decided after acts of violence were committed by members of La Familia across the […]