Swansea City's Itay Schechter refused entry to Dubai because of UAE's policy against allowing Israelis into country. An Israeli soccer player for a British club is being forced to skip a team visit to Dubai because of the United Arab Emiratesâ policy on Israelis entering the country. The 25-year-old striker, Itay Schechter, who plays for Swansea City, was prevented from attending the six-day group training session in the Persian Gulf city, The Jewish Chronicle reported on Wednesday. The United Arab Emirates does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, and Israeli passport holders can be arrested and deported upon entering if they lack a special visa. Dubai is one of the UAEâs seven emirates, or city-states. Schechter, who once was a victim of anti-Semitic abuse when he was given a Nazi salute during a training session, has traveled to Israel to train with his former Hapoel Tel Aviv club ahead of a Premier League match on Sunday, the Chronicle reported. In 2009, the Dubai Tennis Championship was levied a record fine over its countryâs refusal to award a visa to Israeli tennis player Shahar Peâer. She received a visa and appeared in the 2010 tournament in Dubai. Poor form by Swansea, I think, who should have simply refused to bow to the UAE's apartheid policies.
Already been done: http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/196267-Itay-Shechter-banned-from-UAE-training-with-Swans
Dont talk daft. we are a football team who will have had to put in a request to Dubai in the first place to enter the country for a spot of warm weather training, they agreed that the team and staff could come...Itay is a part of the team and common sense should have been seen that he is not representing his country he is representing swansea city and should have been allowed to join his team mates as a swans player and the fact that he comes from israel should not come into it......I hope now that we thank those who let us use their facilities and never train in dubai ever again even if we never had any israeli's on the books....
Dai but it will come in to play, believe me I am very well up on international relationships and diversity issues etc. due to which, some comments by certain posters on this board have actually left me speechless on occasions , enough said on that matter , the club will have learned a valuable lesson for the future!
