| Ali El-Khatib | |
| Upright: | 0.7 |
| Fullname: | Ali El-Khatib |
| Birth Date: | 18 March 1989 |
| Birth Place: | Shefa-'Amr, Israel |
| Position: | Attacking Midfielder, Right winger |
| Currentclub: | Hapoel Kfar Saba |
| Clubnumber: | 10 |
| Youthyears1: | 2001–2006 |
| Youthclubs1: | Hapoel Shefa-'Amr |
| Youthyears2: | 2006–2008 |
| Youthclubs2: | Hapoel Haifa |
| Years1: | 2008–2009 |
| Clubs1: | Maccabi Ironi Shlomi Nahariya |
| Caps1: | 7 |
| Goals1: | 4 |
| Years2: | 2009 |
| Clubs2: | Maccabi Ironi Tamra |
| Caps2: | 12 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 2009–2011 |
| Clubs3: | Jabal Al-Mukaber |
| Caps3: | – |
| Goals3: | – |
| Years4: | 2011 |
| Clubs4: | Hilal Al-Quds |
| Caps4: | 2 |
| Goals4: | 2 |
| Years5: | 2012 |
| Clubs5: | Jabal Al-Mukaber |
| Caps5: | 1 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2012 |
| Clubs6: | Hapoel Haifa |
| Caps6: | 8 |
| Goals6: | 4 |
| Years7: | 2012–2013 |
| Clubs7: | Maccabi Netanya |
| Caps7: | 27 |
| Goals7: | 6 |
| Years8: | 2013–2015 |
| Clubs8: | Maccabi Akhi Nazareth |
| Caps8: | 45 |
| Goals8: | 14 |
| Years9: | 2015–2016 |
| Clubs9: | Hapoel Haifa |
| Caps9: | 10 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Years10: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs10: | Maccabi Akhi Nazareth |
| Caps10: | 48 |
| Goals10: | 9 |
| Years11: | 2017–2019 |
| Clubs11: | Hapoel Hadera |
| Caps11: | 43 |
| Goals11: | 7 |
| Years12: | 2019–2020 |
| Clubs12: | Maccabi Akhi Nazareth |
| Caps12: | 33 |
| Goals12: | 10 |
| Years13: | 2020–2024 |
| Clubs13: | Ihud Bnei Shefa-'Amr |
| Caps13: | 74 |
| Goals13: | 47 |
| Years14: | 2024 |
| Clubs14: | Hapoel Kfar Saba |
| Caps14: | 8 |
| Goals14: | 1 |
| Years15: | 2024– |
| Clubs15: | Hapoel Umm al-Fahm |
| Caps15: | 0 |
| Goals15: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2010 |
| Nationalteam1: | Palestine U23 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 8 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2011 |
| Nationalteam2: | Palestine |
| Nationalcaps2: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 2 |
| Club-Update: | 1 June 2024 |
Ali El-Khatib (Arabic: علي الخطيب, Hebrew: עלי חטיב; born 18 March 1989) is a professional footballer who plays for Hapoel Umm al-Fahm. Born in Israel, he has represented the Palestine national team.
El-Khatib grew up in the Arab city of Shefa-'Amr in Northern Israel where he played for local side, Hapoel Shefa-'Amr.[1]
He was brought to Palestinian club Jabal Al-Mukaber in by the coach, Samir Issa, in 2012. While playing for them, a controversy erupted over El-Khatib's contract.
Hapoel Haifa had given him a trial after someone had informed the coach of El-Khatib's talents. He was then chosen to join the club after 5 or 10 minutes of his try-out.
However, the signing caused an outrage with his previous club, who alleged that he had three-and-a-half years left on his contract, resulting in them taking the case to FIFA after a Tel Aviv District Court denied their appeal. El-Khatib denied that he signed a contract with the club, claiming that they had forged his signature on the contract. The president of Jabal Al-Mukaber compared Hapoel's action to that of a horse thief under the pretence that they stole a player who was under contract.
In a league match on April 1, 2012, he was involved in a mass brawl in which he was assaulted by staff members. The match, which was against Maccabi Petah Tikva, had ended with a free-kick goal for the hosts, Maccabi Petah Tikva. Immediately after the final whistle, the players went at each other.
Petah Tikva's goalkeeping coach, Ami Ganish, had unprovokingly headbutted El-Khatib which knocked him down. Afterwards, Yigal Maman, a high-ranking employee kicked him in the head while he was on the ground, causing him to lose consciousness.
El-Khatib had to be taken to the hospital and was treated for a fractured jaw and missing teeth. The two members of staff were detained by police.[2]
In June 2012 it was announced that Ali El-Khatib has joined Maccabi Netanya.
As one of a growing number of Arab-Israelis playing professionally in the WBPL and representing Palestine internationally .[3] He stated his dream is to play for Israel, and also said "It would be wonderful if one day the Palestinian national team could play against the Israel national team. Then I would play the first half of the game with one team and the second half with the other team."[4]
He received his first national team cap against Thailand in 2014 World Cup qualifying on July 23, 2011. He scored his first senior team goal in a friendly match against Bahrain, the 67th-minute goal proved to be the winner as the game ended 1–0. 11 days later, he scored his second goal in a crucial match against Sudan which secured Palestine passage to the 2011 Pan Arab Games semifinal.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Israel | League | Israel State Cup | Toto Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Maccabi Ironi Shlomi Nahariya | Liga Alef | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 5 | |
| Palestine | League | Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | ||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Jabal Al Mukaber | Premier League | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2010–2011 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 2011 | Hilal Al-Quds | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2011 | Jabal Al Mukaber | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Israel | League | Israel State Cup | Toto Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||
| 2011–12 | Hapoel Haifa | Liga Al | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | |
| 2012–13 | Maccabi Netanya | Liga Al | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 6 | |
| Career total | 60 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67 | 15 | |||
As of 31 January 2012
| 1. | 6 December 2011 | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |||
| 2. | 17 December 2011 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2011 Pan Arab Games | |||