Amid a lawsuit filed by Ofer Yanai against the referees association, Israel Basketball Association chairman Amos Frishman sent a letter on Wednesday backing referees and officials. In the letter, published on June 17, 2026 at 14:10, he said two personal lawsuits were filed over the past week against basketball referees and referees association officials by a team owner who had already raised his claims within the association’s institutions and been rejected at every level.
Frishman said the association views the lawsuits with “great severity,” calling them an improper attempt to overturn professional decisions by referees and basketball bodies outside the accepted channels of the sport. He said this comes during the “peak week” of Israeli basketball, when referees and officials are focused on managing the championship-deciding games as professionally as possible.
He wrote that outside pressure must not be allowed to affect refereeing independence or the proper functioning of basketball, and said he intends to use all tools available to the association to stop the current conduct and prevent it from happening again. The association, he added, fully supports the referees and officials facing the lawsuits and will provide them with every tool and all backing needed to deal with them.
Frishman praised Israeli referees for working professionally, with dedication and responsibility under difficult pressure, and said they deserve to continue without fear or intimidation. He also called on the Israel Basketball Association’s executive members to stand united behind the refereeing system, protect its independence and strengthen trust in the professionals responsible for running the game. He concluded that Israeli basketball is based on respect, fairness and the rules of the game, and thanked all referees for their contribution to the sport.
