An Israeli soccer fan is seen at Poland’s National Stadium, in Warsaw. Photo: Reuters / Kacper Pempel.

The soccer leagues of Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to bolster cooperation, the state-run Emirati news agency WAM reported.

Erez Kalfon — chairman of the Israel Professional Football Leagues — stated, “Football is the most popular sport not only in the world, but also in both Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The passion for football transcends religions, nations and races, and we have the ability to use it as a tool to build relationships and break down walls between people, of all genders, and of all races.

“The teams of the two organizations have been working for some time on plans for future collaborations in the fields of football promotion, sports technologies and social and commercial collaborations alike and it seems that there’s more that unites us than divides us,” he added.

Abdulla Naser Al Junaibi — chairman of the UAE Pro League — commented, “Football has always been the most important and fast path to bring people together. These are the cooperation pillars we aim at through this agreement, through which we hope to achieve gains for both parties.”

He continued, “Over the decades, the UAE has proven to be a homeland of tolerance and a melting pot of the world’s peoples. This memorandum of understanding will contribute towards the promotion of peace and strengthen cooperation and friendship in a way that serves the interest of football in both countries.”