Article by David Istrate – Published Monday, 08 June 2026, 09:40 / Updated on Monday, 08 June 2026 09:48
The semi-final match between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israel Basketball League was suspended after 3 quarters due to alarms going off across the country announcing missile attacks from Iran. At that moment, the team from Tel Aviv was leading 77-67.
On Sunday, June 7, the first match of the semifinal of the Israeli championship was played between Hapoel Tel Aviv, a Euroleague team, and Hapoel Jerusalem, a team that played in the EuroCup, being the opponent of U-BT Cluj-Napoca. The two opponents got to play 3 quarters, all won by the Euroleague team, which led by 10 points: 77-67 (25-22, 27-25, 25-20).
Hapoel Tel Aviv – Hapoel Jerusalem, suspended after air raid alarms went off
At that moment, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel, and alarms started ringing across the country. The referees stopped the match and sent the players to the dressing room and the stands were evacuatedbecause in such situations gatherings with more than 500 people are prohibited.
The guests did not want to return to the court, being concerned for their safety and considering that they could not concentrate on basketball. They were supported by coach Yonatan Alon and the management of Hapoel Jerusalem.
Instead, the hosts had a different attitude. According to basketnews.com, Ofer Yannay, the controversial owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv, expressed his outrage at the Jerusalem outfit's decision. “Why are they afraid? Our players are warming up and waiting for Hapoel Jerusalem basketball players. Official Home Front Command safety guidelines allow the game to continue without spectators“, he wrote on X.
The guests stayed in their positions and the game was suspended. The hosts announced that the victory was theirs, but the Israel Basketball Federation's legal team will decide the outcome of the match. The next game should take place on Tuesday, June 9 at Hapoel Jerusalem, but it remains to be seen what will happen.
In the other semi-final, Maccabi Tel Aviv meets Hapoel Holon.
According to the aforementioned source, several Hapoel Tel Aviv players are considering leaving the team. This is Antonio Blakeney and Daniel Oturu. Other members of the team, such as Tai Odiase and Chris Jones, also expressed concern about the situation in Israel.
