JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jerusalem’s largest soccer club announced that it has changed its name to honor President Donald Trump.
The team will now be known as “Beitar Trump Jerusalem,” it announced on social media on Sunday, a day before the dedication of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem. It is not known if this is a permanent change or a temporary gimmick.
“For 70 years has Jerusalem been awaiting international recognition, until President Donald Trump, in a courageous move, recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. President Trump has shown courage, and true love of the Israeli people and their capital, and these days other countries are following his lead in giving Jerusalem its rightful status,” the team wrote in its post on Facebook.
It continued: “The football club Beitar Jerusalem, one of the most prominent symbols of the city, are happy to honor the President for his love and support with a gesture of our own. The chairmen of the club, the owner Eli Tabib and the executive manager Eli Ohana have decided to add to the club’s title the name of the American President who made history, and from now on will be called Beitar Trump Jerusalem.”
The post included a photo of Trump surrounded by an Israeli and an American flag, and the symbol of the soccer club.
Beitar Jerusalem is known for its blatantly racist fans, including a core group that goes by the name La Familia, a reference to the Italian mafia. In the last year the club has cracked down on such racism, directed mostly at Arabs and Muslims.
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