Qatar: Israel team welcome if we win World Cup bid
Such an invitation would be unprecedented in the Arab world, most of whose countries shun Israel.
By Reuters Tags: Israel newsQatar would let Israel take part in a World Cup on its territory despite not recognizing the Jewish state, the head of the Gulf nation's bid to stage the 2022 soccer extravaganza said on Tuesday.
Such an invitation would be unprecedented in the Arab world, most of whose countries shun Israel.
Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi, chief executive of the Qatar 2022 bid, added that the Muslim state would also permit alcohol consumption during the world's most watched sporting event.
In a further attempt to make its bid more attractive, Qatar would develop cooling technologies to offset the summer heat during June and July, when temperatures in the desert state can exceed 45 degrees Celsius.
Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is a U.S. ally. But, like its Gulf Arab neighbors, it does not recognize Israel.
"All nations participating in the FIFA World Cup are welcome," Thawadi said, when asked about whether Israel would be allowed to participate if it qualified.
If Qatar wins the right to host the event in 2022, it would be the first major global sporting event hosted in the Middle East.
"We are very confident," Thawadi told Reuters in an interview in the Qatari capital."We've got a bid that allows history to be made in different aspects [like] opening up the gates between the east and the west to sit and communicate."
Alcohol not allowed
Qatar has tightened regulations on alcohol consumption over the last two months in an attempt to stop Qatari citizens, especially young people, from drinking.
Qataris are not allowed in bars while foreigners are asked to present their passports or a membership card to gain entry.
Asked whether drinking would be allowed at the event, Thawadi said: "We are looking at 2022 to be an event mainly for families to attend -- on the other hand alcohol will be available."
He said alcohol would be available in "a flexible approach."
"It will be available to all fans that come to Qatar, at fan zones," Thawadi said.The Qatar organisers say the event will also stimulate technological innovation and create a big commercial opportunity for the Middle East and soccer's ruling body FIFA. Thawadi said the plan was to build between 12 to 18 stadiums for the month-long competition.
Some of Qatar's stadiums already use cooling technology which creates an indoor temperature of 26 degrees even when the outside heat can be much higher, Thawadi said.
"There have been previous World Cups where the weather was quite hot and they were able to host a successful (event)," Thawadi said. "We are looking to develop technologies to address the heat issue, in such a way that utilizes renewable energy."
"In 12 years time, (that technology) will be much more developed and the source of energy such as solar energy will be utilized on a commercial basis."
The next deadline in the 2022 process is Dec 11, when bidders must submit a signed hosting agreement.
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Who cares about the reasoning? In a world of perspectives, a warm gesture can go a long way.. everyone needs to suck up their pride in order to take the legitimacy out of their political rivals.. easy to stand defiant sitting around in the old country, eh? The rest of you should care more about the people on the ground and less about your identity
A pragmatic position may be many things. It could be that of a person who's only morality is to what works. Or it could be the morality of a person who believes that what works is better than what doesn't. If Qatar, for what ever reasons wishes to be gracious in it's actions towards Israel and the west what is wrong with encouraging it? Qatar might not normalize relations with Israel right away, but it could never revoke the fact that it had welcomed Israeli participation. De facto recognition is always more important than de jure. Because facts lead to laws.
So Qatar makes a gracious offer. This is immediately denounced by both the left and the right. Not hard to understand what the real problem is. I would rather reality trump ideology and the lunatic fringe on both sides insist that ONLY their rabid opinions prevail. The offer of Qatar remains gracious and should be graciously accepted. The first step that both sides fear might be on a football pitch.
You ask "Why would Israel play in a state that does not recognise them?" Answer: To highlight how idiotic and detached from reality the non-recognition of Israel is in practice.
Will there be a state called Israel in 2022?
Countries first need to qualify for the World Cup Finals. Then it will be up to FIFA to determine if a country is fit to participate. So Israel's decision to participate in the World Cup is not up to Qatar, the Arab League, or the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Israel's current FIFA world ranking as of the last update of Oct. 16, 2009 puts her as # 26 (above members of the organizations mentioned above) and it is possible that she will qualify for 2022.
Why say thank you? Jews lived in Arabia before Muhammad was even born. Why should we thank one Arab country for behaving normally? I assume from your name that you are of European descent-maybe you should be the one saying thank you for being allowed to travel in Arab lands. You are the ones who colonized them far before the state of Israel was re-estblished.....
Quatar won't get the tournament and Israel will never qualify for a World Cup (at least till the occupation has come to an end, after that everything will be possible)....
Don't be surprised if it's pulled away come game time. Arabs have a habit of promising everything to get what they want and then reneging on those promises re: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain ending the economic boycott, Arafat agreeing to dismantle terrorist organizations, Hizbollah agreeing to return Regev and Goldwasser as the FIRST act in 1701.
Maybe Israel will insist on being recognised as the team representing the Nation State of the Jewish people. What is good for the Palestinians ought to be good for Qatar. Dont you think ---Nigel or is that British Zionist--or is it --Nigel the British Zionist.
This "offer" deserves no thanks, it has only been made because Qatar wants the Cup and if they exluded Israel or any other country then they would automatically be ruling themselves out.
Why should Israel say thank you? It is the duty of any nation hosting a major sports competition to allow all the participants who have qualified. If Qatar were to ban Israel then they would not be able to host the tournament. However it is good to see that a Middle Eastern nation would allow Israel even if it is for there own agenda.
Maybe they hope all the Palestinians have been "Dealt with" by then and that the Greater Israel is the fact on the ground. Hell they might even be thinking they are going to win the worls cup. That is far more likely than the possibility of the Palestinians vanishing.
I hope Israel is gracious towards this offer.