August 8 – Nineteen members of La Familia, the rightwing faction of Beitar Jerusalem, whose fans are regarded as the most hostile in Israel, have been charged with attempted murder, aggravated sabotage, racist offenses and illegal possession of weapons.
The ultra-nationalist members of La Familia are known for their racist sentiments and their stadium known as ‘Hell’ where police regularly have to step in during matches to prevent violence.
In late July, after a six-month undercover operation, more than 400 police rounded up Beitar fans and made a swathe of arrests that yielded the discovery of 20 stun grenades, a kilogram of explosives material, gas and smoke grenades, makeshift chemical grenades and 29 flares.
An Israeli Justice Ministry spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing and that more indictments might follow the 19 already issued by the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office.
The indictment alleges that La Familia’s aim is “to sow violence and vandalism based on an anarchist and racist ideology of hate for the Arab sector, on the soccer field, at various sports events and against the fans of rival teams.” The charges include the attempted murder in 2015 of a fan of the rival Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer team.
The indictment makes specific reference to the La Familia slogan ‘Beitar forever pure’, calling it racist, and cites the lyrics of the La Familia club song, which refers to “the strongest army,” which “will protect you and wipe anyone standing in its way off the face of the earth, a cruel and racist guerilla army.”
The latest charges will not be lost on French club Saint-Etienne who visit Beitar on August 18 for a Europa League fixture.
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