Strong security measures for Israeli sports team

The Qatari security forces have reinforced their security measures due to the participation of Israeli handball team in the Men's Junior World Handball Championship. On Monday the Israeli team met with the Tunisian team in the context of this championship.

AFP said none of the Arab viewers who were attending the games, almost 3,000, mostly from Qatar, remained seated when hearing the Israeli national anthem. Only 10 Israeli spectators stood in greeting for the Israeli anthem.

The spectators had saluted every goal registered by the Tunisian team with high applause while the Israeli goals were met with insults.

An Israeli journalist told AFP it is not important to lose the game, "The most important is that we are playing in front of an Arab public."

One partisan for the Tunisian teams said, "To play against the Israelis is not a problem. The most important is to defeat them."

This is the first time an Israeli team has played in one Arab state in the Gulf.

The other three Arab Gulf states that were to participate in the tournament -- Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait -- withdrew from the championship in objection of the participation of the Israeli team.