Glil Mekel Calls for Israeli Playoff to Finish Abroad After Suspended Game

Glil Mekel, co-owner of Hapoel Jerusalem, said after Tuesday’s suspended playoff semifinal against Hapoel Tel Aviv that the league should consider finishing the postseason outside Israel. Speaking on Sport 5’s “5 BeAvir,” he said the club wanted the game to continue from the fourth quarter and from the exact point where it stopped, with the same score and foul situation.

The game was halted after police entered the court and players and families moved to the locker rooms amid confusion and panic. Mekel said he personally returned from the bathroom to see police in the arena and realized the game was over, adding that the atmosphere was one of “uncertainty” and fear. He said Hapoel Jerusalem wanted to keep playing and compete, and rejected claims that the team refused to resume only because it trailed by 10 points.

Mekel also responded to criticism from Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yannay and to a union prosecutor’s demand for a technical loss. He argued that this was not unsportsmanlike conduct but an extreme situation involving people, not machines, and said the club is preparing its legal case. He said he hopes “logic, humanity and sportsmanship” will prevail and that no one should be punished.

Looking ahead, Mekel said the team is due to hold practice and is waiting to see what happens with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s game against Hapoel Holon. He urged the league to learn from past mistakes, shorten the season, and possibly use a bubble format, saying dragging the playoffs into late June is a mistake. He added that his club has applied for a EuroLeague wild card, but its chances are low if the situation in Israel remains unchanged and much better if there is an agreement and the team can return home.