La Familia (Beitar supporters' group)
| La Familia | |
| Team | Beitar Jerusalem |
| Location | Teddy Stadium |
| Established | 2005 |
La Familia are a far-right, football supporters' group of the Israeli Premier League club Beitar Jerusalem, primarily consisting of Mizrahi Jewish descendants of the Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries.
The organization began in 2005 and occupy the eastern sections of Teddy Stadium. Estimates of the group's numbers vary. A reporter put the number at a few hundred while a leader of the group said that it encompassed a network of 3,000 supporters. At a home match in 2008, a correspondent for the BBC said that the group was about 20% of the crowd. They are the most vocal in the stadium and some local fans follow their chants.
Primarily consisting of Mizrahi Jewish descendants of the Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries, La Familia is proud of its Jewish identity. The group is notorious for chants that insult Arab players, and for displaying the flag of the banned Kach party. Cheers with lines such as "death to the Arabs" and "Muhammad is a homosexual" are common. Unlike other top clubs in the country, no Arabs have ever played for Beitar. La Familia has continuously raised strong objections to any Arab transfers. The group was adamantly against the signing of a Nigerian Muslim (who lasted half a season in 2005) and the 2013 transfer of two Chechnyan Muslims.
The team has roots in the Betar Zionist youth movement and has been supported by several Israeli politicians on the political right throughout its history. La Familia has similarly been labeled far-right and is openly against those they view as being on the left. The club has publicly condemned the group and has gone as far as barring it from a match. Some Beitar fans have expressed embarrassment over the organization and openly oppose their ideals.
During a December 2007 Toto Cup semi-final game between Beitar Jerusalem and the Israeli-Arab team Bnei Sakhnin, La Familia sang provocative chants insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Israel Football Association (IFA) punished Beitar by forcing them to play their next game against Sakhnin with no fans present. Vandals set fire to the IFA's offices and left graffiti threatening the life of the IFA chairman. The graffiti included the initials "LF" for La Familia, but the group denied involvement. Bnei Sakhnin is the only Arab-Israeli club in the Premier League. Matches between the clubs often result in violence and arrests.
...
Wikipedia