Court Halts Seizure of Bank Guarantees for Hapoel Ironi Tiberias

A temporary restraining order has been issued by the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, halting the seizure of NIS 1.3 million in bank guarantees posted by Dorot Group, owned by Arie Klamezon, for the Hapoel Ironi Tiberias football club. The order came after Dorot Group filed an urgent request, following actions by the budget control and trustee Adv. Liza Hadash to enforce the guarantees. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for November 23.

The court noted that an interim order was warranted "in light of claims that a rare exception of special circumstances exists due to extraneous considerations in the enforcement of the guarantees." However, the court emphasized that this is a temporary order, not a final decision, and does not validate Klamezon's claims.

Klamezon's associates allege that the attempt to seize the guarantees is motivated by extraneous reasons, stemming from public criticism he voiced. These claims were raised within the legal proceedings and have not been substantiated by the court.

Conversely, the club argues that halting the seizure of guarantees delays salary payments to players and staff. In an official statement, Hapoel Ironi Dorot Tiberias stated that player and staff salaries were submitted on time for budget control processing via the guarantees. The club is insisting on the seizure of the guarantees to expedite these payments.

The club also announced Klamezon's intention to terminate the lease agreement with the car leasing company that provides vehicles to the club. The club's trustee and the Mayor of Tiberias, Yossi Naveh, are collaborating to find solutions, prioritizing salary payments, player and staff rights, and the club's continued operation.