Bnei Sakhnin Player Attacked by Maccabi Netanya Fans After Match, Reports Racist Motive

Bnei Sakhnin defender Iyad Abu Abid and teammate Ilai Hajaj were attacked by several Maccabi Netanya fans following their away match on August 24, 2026, which ended in a draw. Abu Abid reported that fans assaulted him and vandalized his car immediately after leaving the pitch, stating, "I felt like they wanted to kill me. I was attacked just because I play for Bnei Sakhnin." He has since been summoned to give testimony at a police station, though no arrests have been made yet.

Sources within Bnei Sakhnin described the incident as racially motivated, emphasizing that Abu Abid, an Arab player, was targeted due to his background. A club official expressed outrage, questioning whether politicians would now call to close stadiums, sarcastically comparing the situation to incidents in Doha. The official criticized the attack as a disgrace and wondered about the response from political figures such as Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Despite the team's poor performance, Bnei Sakhnin's management and coaching staff, led by Yossi Abukasis, embraced the draw as a positive step. They remain optimistic that the team will improve and gel in the coming weeks. The incident has sparked concern over player safety and racism in Israeli football stadiums.