Israelis will be able to attend the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, according to Israeli ministers.
The announcement of the agreement, reached after months of talks with FIFA, was made by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Sports Minister Chile Trooper.
Yair Lapid on Thursday took to Twitter and wrote, A political achievement that fills the hearts of the fans! After hard and joint work with @gantzbe and @hilitrooper has matured a happy summary – Israelis will be able to fly to watch the World Cup in Qatar.”
He further tweeted, “The love for football and sports connects people and countries and the World Cup in November opens the door to new warm relationships, congratulates all partners and is waiting for the opening whistle.”
It is noteworthy that the Israeli national team failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.
Qatar will host the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East and kicks off on November 21.
Officials for the World Cup in Qatar have repeatedly said that all nationalities are welcome during the tournament. All ticket holders must apply for the Haya card, which is considered an entry permit to Qatar and allows its holder a range of benefits, including free use of public transport on match days.
Qatar does not currently have official diplomatic relations with Israel, unlike its Gulf neighbours Bahrain and the UAE, with which they recently signed historic agreements.
