Jewish pressure breaks Frankfurt club's deal with Saudia

Contract off between FSV Frankfurt and Saudia after New York Post reports airline refuses to fly Israeli citizens

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A German second-division football club has terminated a short-lived sponsorship contract with the Saudi Arabian national airline Saudia following protests from Jewish and other local groups.

The deal with FSV Frankfurt was revealed last week and immediately came under fire because of a New York Post report that Saudia refuses to fly Israeli citizens.

FSV Frankfurt said Monday it had asked Saudia for clarification but had been told to contact the Saudi embassy in Berlin, “upon which both sides agreed to terminate the contract by mutual agreement” immediately. The club did not disclose the value of the sponsorship deal, which had been negotiated by a management agency.