"An Israeli soccer club notorious for the anti-Arab chants of its fans plans
to recruit two Muslim players, fuelling protests in the stands that a senior
cabinet minister condemned as shocking and racist. At a Premier League game on
Saturday, Beitar Jerusalem supporters held a banner reading "Beitar will always remain pure". Other signs hoisted by fans also protested against its owner's
intention to have two Muslim Chechen players join.
Beitar Jerusalem is owned by Russian-born billionaire Arkady Gaydamak. He
said he would not be deterred from bringing the two Chechens, Zaur Sadayev and
Dzhabrail Kadiyev, from Russian premier league club Terek Grozny to Israel later
in the week.
Gaydamak told Israeli Army Radio the "small group of so-called supporters"
of Beitar Jerusalem "do not represent the general opinion of the Israeli public,
and they should not be allowed to win".
My comment: Zionists always imply racism is limited to a fringe element in
Israeli society while it is widespread and pervasive. Beitar Jerusalem "fans"
are just a bit more vocal than others, that's all.
Even those pretending to
condemn it never fail to change subject to alleged anti-Semitism in the same
breath:
"I was shocked by the racism displayed in the Beitar Jerusalem stands
yesterday against having Muslim or Arab players on the team," Deputy Prime
Minister Moshe Yaalon said on Sunday. "We cannot ignore these displays of racism
which not long ago were directed - and are still being directed - towards the
Jewish people," he wrote on Twitter.
