UAE royal buys stake in controversial Israeli soccer club

Israel's Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, which has gained notoriety for never having an Arab player on its roster, announced on Monday that an Emirati investor has purchased a 50% stake in the team.The team said that Sheikh Kamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family, has pledged to invest 300 million shekels, or about $90 million, into the club over the next decade.

In a statement released by the team, Moshe Hogeg, owner of Beitar, said the deal represented “new days of coexistence, achievements and brotherhood.” Al Nahyan said he was thrilled to be a partner in a “glorious club.” He also referred to Jerusalem as the “the capital of Israel,” despite Palestinian claims to the eastern part of the city.“I have heard a lot about the change taking place in the club and the way things are going, and I am hapy to take part in that,” he said.

(Image Credit: Pixabay/Representative Image)