An Israeli soccer player for a British club is being forced to skip a team visit to Dubai because of the United Arab Emirates’ policy on Israelis entering the country.

The 25-year-old striker, Itay Schechter, who plays for Swansea City, was prevented from attending the six-day group tra

The United Arab Emirates does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, and Israeli passport holders can be arrested and deported upon entering if they lack a special visa. Dubai is one of the UAE’s seven emirates, or city-states.

Hamas and Dubai have accused Israel of assassinating the terrorist group’s commander Mahmoud al- Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel in January 2010. They allege that the plot involved a dozen assassins using forged passports from Britain, Ireland, Germany and France, among other countries.

Schechter, who once was a victim of anti-Semitic abuse when he was given a Nazi salute during a training session, has traveled to Israel to train with his former Hapoel Tel Aviv club ahead of a Premier League match on Sunday, the Chronicle reported.

In 2009, the Dubai Tennis Championship was levied a record fine over its country’s refusal to award a visa to Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe’er. She received a visa and appeared in the 2010 tournament in Dubai.

ining session in the Persian Gulf city, The Jewish Chronicle reported on Wednesday.