Hapoel Jerusalem fans threatened to boycott Thursday's Israeli Basketball State Cup against Maccabi Tel Aviv after the Israel Police decided not to allow a banner featuring the portrait of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a fan kidnapped and held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, into the arena.
The issue sparked an uproar, but a solution was reached after a few hours. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar intervened, and Hapoel Jerusalem officials spoke with police and fire department chiefs, eventually securing the necessary approval.
"Upon receiving the update from the Israel Police that the banner featuring hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin's portrait was not approved for the Basketball State Cup final, the club's management, along with fan leaders, contacted the relevant authorities to get the banner approved. The police requested and received confirmation from the Fire Department regarding the banner's safety, and we are pleased to announce that it has been approved and will be proudly displayed. We thank the Israel Police for their cooperation. Everything for Hersh and his family who will attend the game, and we hope for the return of all the hostages soon," the club said in a statement.
"We have approved the entry of the banner for today's basketball game at Menora Mivtachim Arena, contingent on the safety arrangements presented by the event manager," the Israel Police said in a statement. "We emphasize that the Israel Police are responsible for the safety of the spectators, and all actions were taken to prevent any potential disaster and ensure the public's security and well-being."
Initially, Hapoel Jerusalem fans claimed that similar banners from Maccabi Tel Aviv had been approved and that if their red banner was not allowed, they would not enter the game. In a surprising show of support, Maccabi Tel Aviv's official X (formerly Twitter) account posted: "Hersh's banner must be inside. On this issue, we are all united."