Sports Minister Miki Zohar helped resolve the Israeli players strike after Hapoel Tel Aviv had four of their five players foul out, ending their game against Bnei Herzliya prematurely.

“I am pleased to announce that the Israeli players are returning to play and the strike has ended. After many discussions with the Players’ Association, the League Administration and the team owners, we reached an agreement that the strike is ending and the players will return to play.”

According to the agreement with the players, starting next season, the Minister’s framework will grant a budget of 2.2 million NIS only to teams that play with four foreign players throughout the entire season.

The Minister also agreed with Basketball Association Chairman Amos Frishman to establish a steering committee in cooperation with the League Administration and the players, which will submit its conclusions with the aim of bringing the sides back to the negotiating table in order to reach agreements ahead of next season.

Many thanks to Yaniv Levy and Naor Galili for their assistance in reaching these agreements.

Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar added, “The bizarre situation that occurred during the game between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Bnei Herzliya left no choice but to do everything possible to resolve the crisis. I’m pleased that the players accepted my proposal and will return to play. I sincerely hope the sides will sit down as soon as possible to reach agreements for next season.”

The League Administration said, “We congratulate Minister Miki Zohar for bringing the strike to an end. We would also like to thank Yaniv Levy for his efforts to help resolve the crisis in Israeli basketball.”

Players’ Association Chairman Nir Alon commented, “I thank Sports Minister Miki Zohar for his vigorous efforts and commitment throughout the process to resolve the crisis. Special thanks also to Naor Galili, who joined the mission and worked professionally and precisely to help reach agreements and allow the games to return to normal. This is an especially important moment for local basketball players, including our future generation, and especially for Israeli basketball and the Israeli national teams.”

Bnei Herzliya defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 70-59 in a game that ended in the second quarter as Dimitrios Itioudis’s squad who played with just 5 imports saw four players foul out to end the clash prematurely. Justin Edler-Davis scored 21 points and Zack Bryant added 18 points in the win while Jonathan Motley scored 22 points in the loss.

“Obviously, unfortunately, this was not a legitimate basketball game,” Itoudis began following the game. “Basketball does not deserve a night like this. We did not lose on purpose; we only had five registered players. Although we had three good practices together, it’s impossible to take anything seriously in a situation like this. Every worker has the right to strike. I want to thank the wonderful fans who came and applauded us. I hope we return to serious basketball as soon as possible.”

Herzliya Head Coach Yehu Orland said, “The feelings range from frustration, to sadness, to anger. Of course not at Hapoel Tel Aviv, this is bigger than the two teams that showed up here today. I won’t be dramatic, but speaking purely from a sports perspective, the feelings are difficult. Who is the anger directed at? Everyone. Someone here needs to take responsibility. The players want to protect their status, and that’s understandable. The league management wants to protect itself, and that’s also understandable.

“But at the end of the day, basketball is being harmed. We have a culture of Israeli basketball, and it’s hard for me to see this situation. I grew up loving this league. Someone needs to be the responsible adult and say: enough, stop. Israel’s senior national team and youth national teams have a tough summer ahead, and if this continues, they will arrive unprepared.”

Hapoel Holon slipped by Maccabi Raanana 95-93 as Kevion Taylor scored the game winning basket in a matchup that saw each team field 5 imports along with some youth players to fill out their rosters due to the Israeli players strike. Darin Green scored 25 points, Tray Croft added 24 points and Adama Sanogo put in 23 points in the win while Matt Coleman scored 26 points and Tyrece Radford scored 24 points in the loss.

Hapoel Beer Sheva topped Maccabi Ramat Gan 101-95 in yet another game that was effected by the Israeli players strike as 5 imports and youth players took to the court for the contest. Marquis Barnett scored 31 points and LJ Figueroa put in 27 points in the win while Terrell Brown scored 31 points and DeAndre Pinckney added 26 points in the loss.