Beitar Jerusalem Criticizes Maccabi Haifa CEO Over Community Award Controversy

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Beitar Jerusalem won the President of Israel's Award for social contribution, prompting a sharp response from Maccabi Haifa's CEO Itzik Ovadia, who was accused of pressuring the award committee. Maccabi Haifa denied the claims and demanded an apology, while both clubs expressed respect for the award and each other's community efforts.

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Beitar Jerusalem won the President of Israel's Award for social contribution on Sunday.
Beitar accused Maccabi Haifa CEO Itzik Ovadia of pressuring the award committee.
Beitar called Ovadia "a small CEO in a big club" in a sharp public statement.
Maccabi Haifa denied any contact with committee members and demanded an apology.
Both clubs expressed respect for the award and each other's community work.
The ceremony also honored Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Be'er Sheva presidents for their sports contributions.

After Beitar Jerusalem received the President of Israel's Award for social contribution on Sunday, tensions arose with Maccabi Haifa, which did not win the award. Beitar Jerusalem accused Maccabi Haifa's CEO, Itzik Ovadia, of struggling to accept the committee's decision and sending harsh messages to committee members. Beitar called Ovadia "a small CEO in a big club" and defended the award's legitimacy, while also respecting the community work of Maccabi Haifa and other league teams.

In response, Maccabi Haifa issued a formal statement denying that Ovadia contacted any committee members directly or indirectly and demanded an apology from Beitar Jerusalem for their "unprofessional" remarks. The club expressed respect for the committee's decision and congratulated Beitar Jerusalem on their award, reaffirming their commitment to community and social initiatives over many years.

The award ceremony at the President's residence honored Beitar Jerusalem for excellence in community work among Premier League clubs. Additionally, Maccabi Haifa's president Yaakov Shahar and Hapoel Be'er Sheva's president Alona Barkat received personal commendations from President Isaac Herzog for their longstanding contributions to Israeli sports.

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