Beitar Jerusalem, the most racist football club in Israel...

MATCH DAYUAE at Teddy stadium, home of Beitar Jerusalem, can get pretty nasty. Supporters of the football club proudly sing about how it is “the most racist team” in Israel. They scream epithets, such as “terrorist”, at the Arabs who play for opposing squads. Though Arabs make up 21% of Israel’s population, Beitar Jerusalem has never itself fielded one, in keeping with fans’ claim to be “forever pure”. After the club signed two Muslim players from Chechnya in 2013, a group of fans burned down its offices. When one of the Chechens scored his first goal, many Beitar supporters walked out of the stadium. The players soon moved on.But on December 7th the Holy Land received proof that God has a sense of irony, as Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Nahyan purchased a 50% stake in Beitar Jerusalem. Sheikh Hamad is an Arab Muslim. He is also a cousin of Muhammad bin Zayed, the crown prince and de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates (), which formally normalised diplomatic and other relations with Israel in September.