AMMAN, JORDAN – Earlier This Week dozens of Al-Wehdat supporters gathered outside the club's headquarters in the heart of Amman, chanting, "Normalization is betrayal! Normalization is betrayal!".
Their demand? That the team boycott its upcoming AFC Champions League 2 Round of 16 match against Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai from the UAE on Wednesday—because the Emirati club features an Israeli player.
That player is none other than Munas Dabbur, the former Israeli national team striker. This is the second time since moving to the Gulf that he has been drawn against Al-Wehdat. Even before setting foot in Amman, he unwittingly sparked controversy. The reason? For Al-Wehdat supporters, it doesn’t matter that Dabbur is an Arab or that he distanced himself from Israel’s national team following tensions with fans over a social media post about Al-Aqsa Mosque. To them, he is, first and foremost, an Israeli. This comes at a time when Jordan-Israel relations have once again made headlines.
Political Backdrop: Jordan’s Role in Gaza’s Future
The controversy over the football match is unfolding amid broader regional tensions. In Washington, Jordan's King Abdullah II recently met with former U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss Jordan's potential role in Trump's proposed plan for Gaza. Jordan has been firm in rejecting the forced displacement of Gazans. However, standing beside Trump, the king stated, "As a first step, we (Jordan) will take in around 2,000 children suffering from cancer and severe medical conditions. We will also listen to Egypt’s plan and try to move forward with them." Yet, shortly after, he issued a statement clarifying Jordan's opposition to any forced migration from Gaza, distancing himself from any implication that Jordan would support such a move.
While it appears that the Jordanian king is cooperating with Trump’s vision for Gaza—at least operationally—his motives seem neither driven by a deep desire to help Gazans nor by any particular goodwill toward Israel.
The Deep Divide Between Jordan and Israel
Since the signing of the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, much has changed. While the two countries maintain cooperation in security, trade, and agriculture, political, social, and cultural ties remain deeply strained. Jordan is home to nearly three million Palestinians, about 700,000 of whom are registered refugees—making up nearly 40% of the country’s population. The prevailing sentiment among them toward Israel is well-known, and since the outbreak of war in October 2023, hostility has only intensified.
A slogan often heard at Al-Wehdat games encapsulates this sentiment: "One people, not two nations." The club, which originated in the Palestinian refugee camps of southeastern Amman, is a powerful symbol of Palestinian identity in Jordan. For its fans, any normalization of relations with Israel—even through sports—is viewed as outright betrayal.
The Munas Dabbur Controversy
This explains why Al-Wehdat fans protested outside the club’s offices this week. But this is far from the only incident illustrating how Jordanians perceive Israel.
In 2023, when Dabbur faced Al-Wehdat in a match in Dubai, the situation sparked such an uproar that it even reached the Jordanian parliament. That game ended with Dabbur scoring a spectacular goal that eliminated Al-Wehdat from the tournament. This time, in response to his presence, Al-Wehdat fans boycotted the game altogether. Instead, the stands were filled with dozens of Shabab Al-Ahli supporters who had traveled from Dubai.
Shabab Al-Ahli, coached by former Maccabi Tel Aviv manager Paulo Sousa, and featuring ex-Maccabi Haifa defender Bogdan Planic, won the match 2-0. In a moment laden with symbolism, Dabbur entered as a substitute in the 75th minute—replacing the player who had scored both goals: Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun.
A Match That Transcended Football
The protest against Dabbur’s participation is a stark reminder of the complex dynamics between Jordan, Israel, and the broader Palestinian issue. For many in Jordan, football is not just a sport—it is a battleground for identity and resistance. And as long as these tensions persist, even a simple Champions League fixture can turn into a political flashpoint.
Photo courtesy: Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai’s official X account.
After months of war, the Palestinian Football Association may revive league play—if minimum safety, infrastructure, and funding can be secured.