In this October 31, 2018 picture men perform modernization work on the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A New York rabbi says he has been asked by the Muslim country Qatar for advice on how to host Jewish soccer fans at the 2022 World Cup.
Rabbi Marc Schneier told Bloomberg News that he was asked by Hassan Al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of the organizing committee of quadrennial soccer tourney, to advise him on how to accommodate the Jewish visitors, including providing kosher food.
Qatar and Israel do not have official diplomatic relations. Qatar agreed when it was awarded the World Cup that it would allow Israeli athletes to enter the country and participate in the competition if the team qualified.
Schneier told Bloomberg that Al-Thawadi told him that visitors with Israeli passports would be allowed to enter the country to attend the tournament.
Rabbi Marc Schneier at The Times of Israel Jerusalem offices, February 28, 2018. (Amanda Borschel-Dan/Times of Israel)
He said that he and Al-Thawadi “have been in conversation for the last several months about certain ideas and initiatives he would like to implement to welcome and accommodate the many Jewish visitors they are anticipating at the World Cup.”
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Schneier is the head of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, which seeks to strengthen ties between Muslims and Jews.
The World Cup will be held in Qatar from November 21-December 18, 2022.
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