Al-Qalam 
Israeli soccer club Beitar Jerusalem whose hardcore supporters have chanted ‘death to Arabs’ are now eager to do business with them, writes Alisa Odenheimer of Bloomberg.
Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, which gained notoriety for its hardcore supporters’ chants of “death to Arabs,” confirmed on Tuesday that it’s in talks to secure a “large investment” from the United Arab Emirates as the two nations sealed a landmark peace deal.
Beitar’s owner, Moshe Hogeg, will soon travel to Abu Dhabi to advance the deal, the soccer club said on its website.
After years of discreet closer ties, the UAE signed an agreement with Israel in Washington on this week to normalize relations, making it the third Middle East nation to formally recognize the majority-Jewish state.
“This is a chance to turn Beitar Jerusalem into a dominant club, powerful in Israel and globally, that will serve as a tangible symbol of the new winds of peace that are blowing in the Middle East,” the club said.
When Hogeg took over in 2018, he said religion would no longer be a criteria in choosing players, the Times of Israel reported, signaling that had been a factor in the past. The owner sought to stop racist chanting in the club’s stadium.
Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster reported Sept. 12 that an Abu Dhabi businessman told associates he’s considering investing in the club, and that accountants and lawyers are checking the financial and legal feasibility of the deal.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Tuesday that the potential investor is businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim.
