Vandals torch Israeli FA offices

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Vandals broke into the offices of the Israel Football Association in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, setting fire to property, damaging equipment and scrawling graffiti on the walls, police and fire officials said.

Nobody was hurt in the attack, which took place in the early hours of the morning.

"We can confirm it was started by arsonists. The police opened an investigation and at the moment we are still looking into who was behind it," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

Ori Shilo, the chief executive of the IFA, described the vandalism as "an act of barbarism".

Pictures posted on Hebrew sports Web site ONE (www.one.co.il) showed graffiti threatening to kill IFA officials. One message said "Luzon must die", referring to IFA Chairman Avi Luzon.

Another spray painted message read: "We will harm whoever harms Beitar."

Luzon has been targeted by Beitar Jerusalem fans after the club was punished by an IFA tribunal and played a league fixture behind closed doors on Saturday.

The punishment came as a result of racist chanting by some Beitar supporters in a match earlier this season.

(Reporting by Ori Lewis; Editing by Peter Rutherford)