Beitar club owner cancels Barcelona match in row over Jerusalem

Mr Hogeg, who described himself as a Barcelona fan, said he had “to go with my heart and against my head” and couldn’t “betray Jerusalem.”

The Associated Press reports that Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion backed the decision to cancel the game. 

The planned friendly had come under criticism from activists and other pro-Palestinian voices. 

Joint List MK Sami Abou Shehadeh tweeted on Thursday that he “welcomed” the game’s cancellation, writing that “#Catalunya is a friend of our people.”

He had previously made the demand in an appeal to the Spanish club’s president and said Barcelona had “thousands” of supporters in the occupied Palestinian terrorities. 

Barcelona FC did not immediately return a request for comment.