In a shocking display of racism that has scandalized Israeli soccer, Maccabi Tel Aviv financial director Tomer Shmuel destroyed his career with a single hateful social media post that targeted fans of rival club Hapoel Be'er Sheva, comparing them to "monkeys in Africa."
The prestigious club's decision came after a full day of deafening silence that had only intensified public outrage. In a statement, Maccabi finally condemned Shmuel's post as "completely unacceptable" and "intolerable regardless of the intention," announcing his immediate termination.
The fallout was swift and costly. League CEO Erez Kalfon slapped Maccabi with a 10,000 shekel fine for damaging the league's reputation, while Be'er Sheva Mayor Rubik Danilovich delivered a stinging response that captured the deeper wounds caused by the incident.
"It may be difficult to accept and digest the success of our club," Danilovich wrote on Facebook, "but we have long been in a different place. We are no longer apologetic, we are proud, full of pride."
Maccabi's eventual apology acknowledged the gravity of the situation: "We express our sincere apologies to the fans of Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the club and the residents of the city." The club promised to "continue to adhere to the values and ethical standards it has set for itself."
The incident has sparked intense debate about racism in Israeli soccer, with many noting that while Shmuel's firing was necessary, it shouldn't take a full day of public pressure to condemn such blatant racism from a top executive.
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