title: 1996–97 Liga Alef
text: # 1996–97 Liga Alef
  
  The 1996–97 Liga Alef season saw Bnei Sakhnin and Hapoel Lod promoted to Liga Artzit as the respective winners of the North and South divisions.
  
  At the bottom, Hapoel Migdal HaEmek, Hapoel Iksal (from North division), Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah and Hapoel Kiryat Malakhi (from South division) were all relegated to Liga Bet.
  
  ## North Division
  
  | Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Bnei Sakhnin | 30 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 67 | 23 | +44 | 69 | Promoted to Liga Artzit |
  | 2 | Hapoel Acre | 30 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 54 | 19 | +35 | 65 | |
  | 3 | Hapoel Nazareth Illit | 30 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 52 | 24 | +28 | 65 | |
  | 4 | Maccabi Ahi Nazareth | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 52 | 36 | +16 | 52 | |
  | 5 | Hapoel Karmiel | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 57 | 42 | +15 | 52 | |
  | 6 | Hapoel Umm al-Fahm | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 41 | 42 | −1 | 43 | |
  | 7 | Hapoel Kafr Kanna | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 39 | |
  | 8 | Maccabi Shefa-'Amr | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 39 | 43 | −4 | 39 | |
  | 9 | Maccabi Tamra | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 36 | 39 | −3 | 37 | |
  | 10 | Maccabi Hadera | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 34 | 39 | −5 | 36 | |
  | 11 | Hapoel Kafr Qasim | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 26 | 37 | −11 | 34 | |
  | 12 | Maccabi Isfiya | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 47 | −18 | 33 | |
  | 13 | Maccabi Afula | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 26 | 38 | −12 | 30 | |
  | 14 | Shimshon Tel Aviv | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 37 | 54 | −17 | 30 | |
  | 15 | Hapoel Migdal HaEmek | 30 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 25 | 47 | −22 | 29 | Relegated to Liga Bet |
  | 16 | Hapoel Iksal | 30 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 17 | 64 | −47 | 8 | Relegated to Liga Bet |
  
  ## South Division
  
  | Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Hapoel Lod | 30 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 63 | 29 | +34 | 62 | Promoted to Liga Artzit |
  | 2 | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | 30 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 59 | 20 | +39 | 60 | |
  | 3 | Hapoel Or Yehuda | 30 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 60 | 49 | +11 | 48 | |
  | 4 | Hapoel Dimona | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 46 | 28 | +18 | 47 | |
  | 5 | Beitar Be'er Sheva | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 46 | 37 | +9 | 46 | |
  | 6 | Maccabi Sha'arayim | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 44 | |
  | 7 | Hapoel Kiryat Ono | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 32 | 30 | +2 | 41 | |
  | 8 | Hapoel Yehud | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 31 | 32 | −1 | 36 | |
  | 9 | Hapoel Kfar Shalem | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 37 | −2 | 36 | |
  | 10 | Beitar Ramla | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 31 | 39 | −8 | 36 | |
  | 11 | Hapoel Yeruham | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 33 | 67 | −34 | 35 | |
  | 12 | Maccabi Lazarus Holon | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 34 | |
  | 13 | Maccabi Ramat Amidar | 30 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 27 | 30 | −3 | 34 | |
  | 14 | Tzeirei Jaffa | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 33 | 46 | −13 | 33 | |
  | 15 | Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah | 30 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 33 | 46 | −13 | 32 | Relegated to Liga Bet |
  | 16 | Hapoel Kiryat Malakhi | 30 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 25 | 70 | −45 | 19 | Relegated to Liga Bet |
  