( CNN ) -- Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona have been crowned champions of Israel 's Premier League for the first time in their history after a goalless draw at home to Hapoel Tel Aviv on Monday . It is a remarkable achievement for the tiny club from a small northern town ( Kiryat Shmona ) close to the border with Lebanon in a league traditionally dominated by the country 's `` big four '' teams -- Maccabi Haifa , Maccabi Tel Aviv , Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem . Monday night 's result now gives them an unassailable 16-point lead in the league and caps a memorable season for a place which has regularly found itself caught in the crossfire of the Arab-Israeli conflict . In January this year , the team secured the Toto Cup -- a major domestic tournament -- beating Hapoel Tel Aviv in a penalty shoot-out . `` It 's an incredible achievement , '' says James Montague , author of `` When Friday Comes : Football in the War Zone , '' a book about football and politics in the Middle East . `` It 's a tiny place right on the frontier of one of the Middle East 's most enduring conflicts , not to mention the very edge of European football , '' he added . `` Kiryat Shmona has only been known for war and poverty in recent years . People have been leaving in their droves . But the club has given the population some pride back again . '' The team , which represent a population of 23,000 and play in a stadium with a capacity of around 5,000 , now face the prospect of something altogether grander . As Premier League champions , Kiryat Shmona have qualified for next season 's Champions League 's preliminary rounds which get underway in July . Winning the title is just the start , says Montague . `` Imagine if this tiny club get to play Barcelona ? It 's no longer an impossible dream . ''
Tiny club from northern Israel claims Israel Premier League title for the first time . Draw gives Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona an unassailable 16-point lead in title race . Town of 23,000 residents caught up Arab-Israeli conflict over the years . Champions League football awaits the town 's 5,000-seater stadium next season .