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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Nahyan, a member of
the Abu Dhabi ruling family, this week bought a 50% stake in the
club where a group of supporters, known as “La Familia”, have
been openly racist towards Israel’s Arab minority.
Beitar has never fielded an Arab player since its founding in
1936, and Muslim players who played for the club in the past had
been the target of racist abuse.
"We are open. Our door is open for all the talent. No matter
what is his religion or wherever he comes from," said Sheikh
Hamad, sitting alongside co-owner Moshe Hogeg in an online media
briefing.
Arab citizens make up around 21 percent of Israel's population
of around 9 million and Arab players feature at Israel's other
clubs and in the national team.
Sheikh Hamad and Hogeg said they believed Beitar's racist fans
had been brainwashed and that they hoped the club would show
that Jews and Muslims can work together.
Hogeg, co-founder of tech firm Sirin Labs, hailed Sheikh Hamad's
investment as a "great moment" for the club, while warning, if
necessary, that it would take legal measures, including suing
fans, to stop "extreme racism" at its games.
"We are not afraid of the racists. We have a plan on how to deal
with that," he said.
Sheikh Hamad bought into Beitar four months after the United
Arab Emirates, breaking with decades of Arab policy, agreed to
establish relations with Israel, a move that angered
Palestinians and some Muslim states and communities. Bahrain and
Sudan have since followed suit.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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