The Rights Transfer Committee of the Israeli Football Association announced today, Thursday evening, that Beitar Jerusalem Club has withdrawn the ownership transfer request for an Emirati businessman from the ruling family in Abu Dhabi.
This indicates the failure of the UAE partnership deal with Israeli businessman and club owner Moshe Hogeg.
The deal proposed by the Emirati businessman to buy 50% of the Israeli soccer club remained suspended after the league raised questions about its net worth and investments.
In a report published by the US website Bloomberg, the writer Bin Partenstein said that Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the ruling family in Abu Dhabi, is seeking to buy a 50% stake in the Israeli Beitar Jerusalem club, which is the 6-time league champion, and is supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This deal was supposed to be the largest of its kind for an Arab investor in Israel, which confirms the diplomatic rapprochement between the two countries.
According to people familiar with the show, who requested anonymity due to the privacy of the details, this deal, which was awaiting approval by the Israeli Federation, failed and became subject to cancellation after a review conducted by the "Megiddo" financial intelligence company in Tel Aviv, which revealed that one of Sheikh Hamad's biggest assets It is Venezuela's troubled debt.
The newspaper said that the Israeli Football Association has information indicating that more than 90% of Al Nahyan’s net worth of $ 1.6 billion is related to his possession of Venezuelan bonds, and league officials have been discussing this issue for more than a month.
For his part, the Commissioner of Sheikh Hamad's private office in Dubai refused to make any comment regarding his investments, net worth, or the audit process, and an official from Megiddo Company declined to comment on the measures taken against him.
The writer quoted Shlomi Berzel, a spokesman for the Israel Football Association, that the review is an essential measure under any proposed change of ownership.
Barzel added that the federation has concerns about Sheikh Hamad's finances, knowing that he has given Petar a three-week period to answer his questions, which ends on Tuesday.
Venezuela and its state oil company have halted bond payments of about $ 60 billion over the past few years, and the value of bonds has declined as the economic crisis worsens and sanctions continue.
According to some sources, the Israel Football Association wants to know if the net worth of Al Nahyan depends on the face value or the market value of the debt, and as an Emirati, Sheikh Hamad is not subject to the restrictions imposed by the United States on bonds.
Some sources confirm that officials in the Israeli Football Association are examining dozens of companies registered in the name of Sheikh Hamad as part of the usual due diligence procedures, noting that the Israeli league is reviewing its properties and other investments belonging to it.
His fans insulted the Prophet Muhammad and their slogan "Death to the Arabs" .. A member of the ruling family in # Emirates buys 50% of the Israeli "Beitar Jerusalem" club and describes Jerusalem as the "capital of Israel" pic.twitter.com/8b24FbC81K
- Al-Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) December 9, 2020
Bloomberg indicated that the Betar Jerusalem Club might be an unlikely option for an Arab investor.
Because the club is known for its racist policy, and its fans' hatred of Arabs, which was recognized at a press conference held during the month of December.
During a press conference held in December to celebrate the partial ownership bid, Sheikh Hamad said that "the door is open" for the team to sign Arab players, which opens the way to change the racist traditions against Arab players on this Israeli team.
The writer pointed out that the Al Nahyan family is one of the families that have become famous in the world of football, as Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, in 2008 acquired Manchester City Football Club.
His trading group also owns New York City and Melbourne City Club, and Sheikh Mansour's brother, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates.
After he bought 50% of the shares of the Zionist Beitar Jerusalem club, Emirati Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan said that “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.”
# Jerusalem_the capital of Palestine_Eternal pic.twitter.com/7Cy0dSm4Kj
- Sarah Al-Ghamdi (@sarah_alghamidi) December 10, 2020
Fans of Beitar Jerusalem, the Zionist Zionist club, the most
hateful
Zionist club, Arabs and Muslims
wrote slogans on the outer wall of their stadium that read: "Muhammad is dead", "Death to the Arabs", "Damn Dubai" and "You can not buy us !!!!
In response to the acquisition of Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan!" On 49% stake in their club.pic.twitter.com/U25wcOQLHw
- Commentator Dr. Mohamed Al-Saadi (@ DRMOHDALSA3DI) December 8, 2020
The failure of the UAE-Israeli fraud deal ??
The Jerusalem Beitar deal is about to explode
The Football Association's Rights Transfer Committee announced that it is not in a position to agree to the participation of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa - Adel Al-Otaiba - in Beitar, so will the deal end?
Haaretz asks pic.twitter.com/q2TryHuqrH
- hodhodpal (@ hodhodpal1) January 6, 2021