The 1953–54 Liga Bet

Liga Bet

-History:League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga...

 season was the last in which Liga Bet was the second tier of Israeli football

Football in Israel

Football is the most popular sport in Israel. Football as an organised sport first developed in the United Kingdom who controlled Israel during the days of the British Mandate. Israel will be hosting the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2013....

, as the new Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...

 became the top division and Liga Alef

Liga Alef

-History:League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga Alef...

 became the second tier.

Hapoel Hadera

Hapoel Hadera F.C.

Ironi Sport Eran Hadera–Giv'at Olga F.C. is an Israeli football club from Hadera.The unorthodox name of the team is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Hadera and Maccabi Hadera....

 and Beitar Jerusalem (champions of the South Division) promoted to Liga Alef

Liga Alef

-History:League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga Alef...

. Hapoel Herzliya

Hapoel Herzliya F.C.

Hapoel Herzliya is an Israeli football club based in Herzliya. The club is currently in Liga Leumit and play their home matches at the Herzliya Municipal Stadium.-History:...

 and Hapoel Mishmar HaSheva'a were both relegated, whilst Maccabi Rishon LeZion

Maccabi Rishon LeZion F.C.

Maccabi Rishon LeZion was an Israeli football club based in Rishon LeZion. The club spent two seasons in the top division at the start of the 1950s and was part of the wider Maccabi Rishon LeZion sports club which still exists today....

 collapsed and withdrew from the league.

South Division

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Beitar Jerusalem	26	20	2	4	76	26	50	42	Promoted to Liga Leumit
2	Hapoel Rehovot	26	17	6	3	87	32	55	40
3	Hakoah Tel Aviv Hakoah Tel Aviv F.C. Hakoah Tel Aviv was an Israeli football club based in Tel Aviv. In 1959 it merged with Maccabi Ramat Gan to form Hakoah Maccabi Ramat Gan.-History:...	26	17	0	9	82	39	43	34
4	Hapoel Jerusalem	26	15	3	8	75	36	39	32
5	Haopel Rishon LeZion	26	14	4	8	65	36	29	32
6	Maccabi Jaffa	26	13	5	8	65	39	26	31
7	Maccabi Sha'arayim Maccabi Sha'arayim F.C. Maccabi Sha'arayim is an Israeli football club based in Rehovot. They currently play in the South B division of Liga Bet, but spent seven seasons in the top division from 1963-1969 and in the 1985-86 season.-History:...	26	10	5	11	48	50
25
8	Maccabi Jerusalem	26	10	4	12	57	64
24
9	Maccabi Ramat Gan Maccabi Ramat Gan F.C. Maccabi Ramat Gan was an Israeli football club based in Ramat Gan. In 1959 it merged with Hakoah Tel Aviv to form Hakoah Maccabi Ramat Gan.-History:...	26	7	8	11	40	46
22
10	Hapoel Ra'anana	26	7	7	12	43	73
21
11	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda Hapoel Mahane Yehuda F.C. Hapoel Mahane Yehuda is an Israeli football club based in the Mahane Yehuda neighbourhood of Petah Tikva. The club currently plays in Liga Bet, the fifth level of Israeli football, though in the past they have played in the top division.-History:...	26	7	5	12	40	55
19
12	Bnei Yehuda	26	7	5	14	33	58
19
13	Hapoel Herzliya Hapoel Herzliya F.C. Hapoel Herzliya is an Israeli football club based in Herzliya. The club is currently in Liga Leumit and play their home matches at the Herzliya Municipal Stadium.-History:...	26	4	6	16	30	89
14	Relegated to Liga Bet
14		Hapoel Mishmar HaSheva'a	26	1	3	20	16	114
5