Shlomi Ben Avraham called the players off the pitch of the match featuring Kiryat Shmona and Hapoel Beer Sheva after the Negev fans were heard directing monkey chants at Kiryat Shmona’s Nigerian striker James Adeniyi.

Adeniyi had previously complained to the referee about the chanting as the players left the field at half-time. As required by Uefa regulations, during the interval, the fans were warned that the game would be stopped if the chants continued. 

When Ben Avraham stopped the match in the 72nd minute, he took the players off for five minutes, while there was announcement that the match would be called off if the racist chanting continued. Beer Sheva owner Alona Barkat went round the pitch to ask the fans to stop the racist chanting and no more incidents occurred.

The Israel FA will investigate the incident and as well as punishing the club could press criminal charges against individual fans. Beer Sheva fans were also heard making monkey chants during a cup match in Netanya earlier this month. Kiryat Shmona owner Izzy Sheratzky said: “My parents survived the Holocaust, and it shocks me that Jews can behave in a racist way.”

Since New Israel Fund – KIO Israel began its campaign against racism in football in 2003, racist chanting has been dramatically reduced at matches.