The aide to Arab MK Masoud Ganaim (Ra’am-Ta’al) has been fired and had his entry permit to the Knesset negated, after a Knesset guard member complained that he threatened that after a soccer game next Sunday between Beitar Jerusalem and Bnei Sakhnin “we’ll slaughter 50 Jews.”
The heated soccer game, which comes in the midst of a wave of terrorism, will see the Beitar team traditionally supported by Israeli nationalist fans face off against the Arab soccer team that was fined last month for honoring former Arab MK Azmi Bishara, a traitor who fled Israel after helping guide Hezbollah’s missiles.
According to the Knesset guard, he has no familiarity Ganaim’s aide, meaning the statement could not be somehow justified as a joke, reports Yedioth Aharonoth. A complaint was filed with the police against the aide, and the Knesset security captain gave the aide the boot.
Ganaim tried to distance himself from the incident, saying in a statement “there was a rumor with the Knesset captain. Everything was in jest and between friends, I don’t know about a complaint. The matter is being dealt with.”
“Who owns Israel?”
The incident comes on the background of the looming Sunday game, which is set to be held at Bnei Sakhnin’s home Doha Stadium.
Police have required 700 police officers, 230 stewards, and a helicopter in the air as the security requirements for the game if it is to be played in the stadium. So as to help Bnei Sakhnin, police have offered to fund the deployment of 200 of the 700 officers.
Entrance to the game is to be limited to 4,800 fans in the stadium that can seat 8,500 – however, only 400 Beitar fans from Jerusalem are to be allowed.
This last requirement has angered Beitar fans, and members of the radical La Familia fan club are organizing to arrive in the Arab city and march to the stadium with Israeli flags on the day of the game.
“Following the scandalous decision by the police to limit the entrance of Jews to the Beitar Jerusalem game against Bnei Sakhnin, we will join together in the march of the La Familia organization into the city of Sakhnin with lots of noise and Jewish pride,” released the Lehava anti-assimilation group.
Those coming to watch the game include former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, Baruch Marzel, Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir and Lehava director Bentzi Gopshtain, who all are affiliated with the Otzma Leyisrael party which failed to make the Knesset threshold in the last general election.
“The game in Sakhnin is a great opportunity to prove to those in Sakhnin who owns the state of Israel,” wrote the four. “Precisely when the wave of terror spreads on our land, we must travel to every place, also in Sakhnin, and to clarify that the people of Israel live, exist, will not submit, will not fold, and is the true owner of this country.”
It appears that Sakhnin might actually back out of hosting the game, after realizing that it stands to take a great financial loss. In that case, the game likely will be held at the new Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa.
