Arik Shtilman Demands Recanati Family Disclose Sale Documents to Jason Levine in Maccabi Tel Aviv Ownership Dispute

Arik Shtilman, the main sponsor of Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, has publicly challenged the Recanati family over the recent transfer of shares in the team. On August 13, 2026, Shtilman sent a sharp legal warning and posted a combative message on social media accusing the Recanatis of using a fictitious right of first refusal to block his entry into ownership. He claims that while the Recanati family exercised this right to purchase 28.97% of shares from the Federman family for about $50 million, the same shares were simultaneously sold to American businessman Jason Levine, whose company was established just one day before the right of first refusal was exercised.

Shtilman alleges that the right of first refusal was a sham used to transfer shares to a third party without proper authorization, violating the shareholders' agreement and constituting bad faith and theft. He demands full disclosure of all correspondence with Levine, financing agreements related to the $50 million, and confidential Side Letter documents within three business days, warning of imminent legal action. He also accuses the Recanati family of attempting to conceal the true nature of the deal and warns of potential serious federal criminal consequences in the U.S. due to these alleged deceptions.

In his social media post, Shtilman directly addressed Oudi and Shay Recanati, insisting on receiving original documents rather than retroactively created ones and criticized media censorship, claiming that journalists from Channel Sport, owned by the Recanati family, were prohibited from reporting on the dispute. He also called for other partners, including Shimon Mizrahi, Richard Deitsch, and Ben Ashkenazi, to be granted access to the documents. The conflict marks a significant escalation in the battle over Maccabi Tel Aviv's ownership structure, with no resolution yet in sight.