Hapoel (Hebrew: הפועל, lit.'the worker') is an Israeli Jewish sports association established in 1926 by the Histadrut Labor Federation.[1][2]
History
During the British Mandate of Palestine period Hapoel had a bitter rivalry with Maccabi and organized its own competitions, with the exception of football, the only sport in which all the organizations played each other. At the time, Hapoel took no part in the Eretz Israel Olympic Committee, which was controlled by Maccabi, and instead sought for international ties with similar workers sports organizations of socialist parties. Therefore, Hapoel became a member of SASI in 1927 and later was a member of CSIT.
After the State of Israel was established, the rival sport organizations reached a 1951 agreement that allowed joint sports associations and competitions open for all Israeli residents.