60-year-old arrested for threatening Betar guard

Police arrested a 60-year-old Jewish man on Tuesday afternoon for threatening a guard working for the Betar Jerusalem soccer team.

“You’re a big man, guarding players, but I will break your arms and legs, we know where you live and we will come to your home,” the suspect allegedly told the guard in a heavy Russian accent over the telephone.

• Three Betar fans arrested outside team practice
• Betar’s foes

Police checked phone records and traced the threatening phone call to the home of one of the Betar players’ family members.

When police officers arrived at the home and investigated, they determined that a man related to one of the players had made the call. He admitted to the call and told police officers it was a “prank call.” He was detained for questioning and then released on conditions, pending further investigation.

Betar Jerusalem fans are furious over owner Arkadi Gaydamak’s announcement that the club has signed two Muslim players, Dzhabrail Kadiyev and Zaur Sadayev, from the Chechen team Terek Grozny.

During the January 26 game against Bnei Yehuda, fans raised an enormous banner that read “Betar pure forever” and sang anti-Arab chants.

Police have arrested more than a dozen people involved in the incident with the banner.

Over the past week, three fans were also arrested after they showed up outside of the team’s Friday practice and threw rocks at the players’ cars and attacked a security guard.