PalArab joy at FC Barcelona visit soured by photos of team at Kotel

Legendary soccer team FC Barcelona visited Arab sections of West Bank over the weekend, where they have many fans:

As soon as they got off the coach, the players were surrounded by a swathe of adoring fans, including several children wearing Barça shirts. They headed for the Basilica of the Nativity, where it is believed that Jesus of Nazareth was born, and paid a visit to the temple. After greeting the senior religious figures in the town, they posed for a group photo outside the basilica.

They then made their way to the headquarters of the Palestinian presidency for a private visit where they were received by president Mahmoud Abbas. Treated as if he were a head of state, Sandro Rosell was accompanied by the other members of the board, plus the players, and exchanged a few words and gifts with the Palestinian leader. Then Jibril Rjoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, spoke to the media and explained what a historic moment this is for his people. “We are hugely respectful of this visit being paid by Barça” he said. “It is big step towards our desire for peace”. He spoke about his high hopes for a future independent state of Palestine, and announced that if that day should ever come, then FC Barcelona would be the first team they’d be inviting to play.

The "peaceful" speeches given by PA officials included insults to Israel saying that the Jewish state uses repression to hurt their sporting program. Apparently those Arabic statements were not translated to the players.

But things soured yesterday when the team paid a visit to the Kotel.

Arabic media has photos and stories saying that the visit "angered" Arab fans of the club, as the players inserted notes into the cracks of the Western Wall and paid their respects while wearing kipot, "a hat worn by Jews when performing Talmudic prayers."

See how the visit fostered "the desire for peace" among Palestinian Arabs?