Saudi fans delight in West Bank game, shrug off geopolitics

Saudi football fans are delighted about their national team's historic match Tuesday against their Palestinian "brothers" in the occupied West Bank, but dismiss suggestions it marks a gradual normalisation of ties between the kingdom and Israel.

Arab clubs and national teams have historically refused to play in the Palestinian territories -- occupied by the Jewish state since 1967 -- as it requires obtaining entry permits to Israel, a country most of them do not recognise.

"This is not a normalisation. It is still occupied Palestine. For Saudi Arabia, there is no state called Israel," football fan Saad told AFP, his eyes locked on a screen playing a Saudi match in a cafe along Tahlia street, a restaurant-lined thoroughfare.

"It is a good thing to support sport in Palestine given the situation there," said the 27-year-old.

"The Palestinian cause remains a fundamental one for Saudi Arabia."
- No politics please -
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- 'Balancing act' -
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