Within Israel, Beitar Jerusalem has become notorious because of the far-right, racist views and frequently violent behaviour of a number of its supporters, particularly the hooligan ‘firm’ known as La Familia.
One Israeli fan who asked not to be identified told the JC: "From the moment we arrived at Cyprus we felt hunted by the hooligan AEK fans, not just as Beitar supporters but also as Israelis.”
On the eve of the match, dozens of AEK fans armed with Molotov cocktails and machetes tried to attack Beitar fans, who fled in the city centre.
Cypriot police had to disperse the crowd using tear gas.
On the day of the game, about an hour before it started, Larnaca fans attacked a handful of Jerusalem supporters this time with batons and knifes.
A video shows a Beitar fan being hit, kicked and dragged on the ground.
Several Israeli fans said the assailants used pro-Palestinian chants during this attack and also in several other incidents.
At least seven of the AEK Larnaca fans who attacked their Beitar Jerusalem counterparts were arrested.
In the game itself Beitar scored the only goal to claim victory in the first leg.
Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel[Missing Credit]
Former prime minister Ehud Olmert was once a fan of the club but long ago ended his support because of the extremism of elements associated with Beitar.
He told the JC: "I used to be a Beitar fan all my life and I even served as its public patron and I actually saved the club from being extinct several times before and during my time as Jerusalem mayor.”
He explains why he stopped to going to the club 14 years ago: “This is because the last time I was there, they had a moment of silence to commemorate Yitzhak Rabin's Remembrance Day before the game. I stand on my feet and then I hear many of the fans boo.
“At this very moment I decided that I – as former Prime Minister, but also as an Israeli and a human being – cannot and will not stand for that. At the very next day I wrote a column in the newspaper that I will never attend a Beitar game again, and I held my promise.”
Beitar Jerusalem has yet to sign an Arab-Israeli player, even though it long ago became the norm for all other Israeli football clubs. Olmert says: "This is also shameful and racist, and something I cannot identify with at any condition.”
But still Olmert is horrified by the targeting of Beitar in Cyprus last month.
He tells the JC: "I oppose violence of any nature or any kind. And because of this Israeli fans, and Beitar Jerusalem fans, should never be attacked just because they are Israeli or Jewish. This is wrong and the people who attacked them should harshly punished."
Beitar fans holding up a banner proclaiming "Ani ohev otcha, Beitar!" ("I love you, Beitar!") (Beitar Jerusalem/LinkedIn)[Missing Credit]
Former president of Israel Reuven Rivlin was also once a fan of Beitar Jerusalem and was its chairman in the 1970s, but long ago dropped his allegiance because of its extremist following.
Former justice minister Dan Meridor ended his support for similar reasons, with the Likud veteran telling Ha'aretz: "This club is named 'Beitar' after a Zionist youth movement Ze'ev Jabotinsky had founded in 1923 in the era of extreme antisemitism and it Beitar's anthem there's even specific wording talking about the equality between Jews and Arabs – so how could this football club discriminate against Arab players and not add them to the team?
“This is nothing more un-Beitar like. This is a disgrace!"
The 2nd leg of the match took place in Bucharest, which is where Beitar currently play their ‘home’ games, until such time as UEFA allow fixtures in Israel again.
Hundreds of Jerusalem fans led by La Familia members marched the streets of the Romanian capital singing extremist chants, but there was not a repeat of the violent scenes seen in Cyprus.
The Israeli club lost the game 3-2, but with the scores level over the two legs the fixture went to penalties, won 4-3 by Beitar to go through to the next round.
