Netanyahu and Levin Take Political Campaigns to Israeli Football Stadiums
With Israeli elections approaching, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to attend a Beitar match, while Justice Minister Yariv Levin faced hostile heckling at a Hapoel Tel Aviv game.
With less than two weeks remaining until the 26th Knesset elections on October 27, 2026, Israeli politicians are intensifying their campaigns by visiting communities and appearing in the media. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to attend the upcoming Premier League match between Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Teddy Stadium, where roughly 30,000 fans are expected.
Campaigning in the Stadiums
Netanyahu, a known supporter of Beitar Jerusalem, previously attended a match against Hapoel Tel Aviv in February 2020 ahead of the 23rd Knesset elections. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin recently attended a Hapoel Tel Aviv match against Ironi Tiberias at Bloomfield Stadium. Despite playing with a man down following an early red card, Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a 1-0 victory with a dramatic penalty in the 81st minute.
Public Confrontation at Bloomfield
During the match at Bloomfield Stadium, Levin faced a hostile reception from a section of the crowd who heckled him and demanded he leave. Social media footage captured fans shouting severe reproaches at the minister.
"How are you not ashamed to come here? 1,200 dead in a single day, so many Hapoel Tel Aviv fans died because of you. Piece of crap, your time is up, you are done."
Levin's long-standing support for Hapoel Tel Aviv has often drawn public interest due to the historical association of the club with the political left, contrasting with his senior position in the Likud party. Reflecting on his football loyalties in a past podcast, Levin remarked that seeing how the Labor Party historically managed Hapoel Tel Aviv convinced him that the country was better off managed by Likud.
