Is the end of the Israeli Basketball Premier League season in danger? The players’ union announced a strike Thursday after negotiations with the league administration collapsed.
The union also announced the cancellation of five league games scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. However, authority to cancel games rests with the league administration, which said the games would “take place as scheduled.
The players’ union said the dispute centers on its demand to anchor the status and presence of Israeli players on the court in a new agreement. The current agreement between the sides is set to expire at the end of the season, and recent negotiations were intended to set the framework for the coming years.
Union chairman Nir Alon said: “We have reached the point where we have no other choice. The strike is a last resort after all attempts at dialogue were exhausted. Not only has the number of foreign players in the league continued to grow, but in recent years we have seen the arrival of cheap and mediocre foreign players, with tax benefits — rather than professional quality — becoming the main consideration in signing them. This is a fight for the future of Israeli basketball, the status of the Israeli player and the future of Israel’s national teams.”
Alon added: “I call on the league administration to understand the scale of the crisis we have reached and to come to understandings with us that will secure the status of the Israeli basketball player. As long as no agreements are reached, we will continue suspending games until a new agreement is signed.”