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Beitar Jersualem's New UAE Owner Says 'Door is Open' to Arab Players

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Emirati businessman who has bought a stake in the controversial Israeli soccer club Beitar Jerusalem said on Tuesday that “the door is open” to adding Arab players to its roster, a step that would make the team the last in Israel to integrate its lineup.

At a joint news conference, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and his Israeli partner, Moshe Hogeg, both vowed to turn the team — which has gained notoriety for its racist fans and ban on Arab players — into a model of coexistence.

“We want to set an example to both nations that Jews and Muslims can work together,” Al Nahyan said.