The Snack Bar Dispute: Maccabi Tel Aviv's Devoted Fan Sues the Club

Zion Belas, a longtime Maccabi Tel Aviv fan, filed a lawsuit against the club, claiming he was evicted from a snack bar he operated at the Kiryat Shalom training complex for years. Belas, who is illiterate, alleges he was fraudulently signed to a lease in 2002 and that the club is trying to remove him. He seeks about half a million shekels in damages plus 100,000 shekels for emotional distress. The club, through attorney Yael Margalit, denies the claims, expresses respect for Belas, but rejects what it calls extortion attempts.

Zion Belas, a devoted Maccabi Tel Aviv fan, has filed a lawsuit against the club, alleging it is trying to evict him from a snack bar he has operated at the Kiryat Shalom training complex for decades. Belas, a simple man who cannot read or write, claims he found a neglected shack, restored it with his own hands, and ran a snack bar serving the complex's visitors. He argues the club knew of his activity, allowed it, and benefited from it, thus granting him a right to stay. Belas seeks about half a million shekels in damages for breach of contract and loss of profits, plus 100,000 shekels for harm to his dignity. He claims he was fraudulently signed to a lease on May 19, 2002, after being misled into thinking it was a travel document. The club, through attorney Yael Margalit, denies the claims, expresses respect for Belas, but rejects the extortion attempts. Behind the lawsuit are Belas's son, former player Yossi Belas, and his stepbrother Arie Shasha, a connected businessman.