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- Israeli footballer’s solidarity protest
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An Israeli footballer who, during a goal celebration on October 7, expressed solidarity with hostages seized in the Hamas attacks is at risk of being prosecuted in Turkey and fired from his club.
Antalyaspor player Sagiv Jehezkel displayed a bandaged hand bearing the inscription “100 days. 7/10”.
In response to the assaults, Israel bombarded Gaza, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
Turkey accused the footballer of endorsing “Israel’s massacre in Gaza.”
Israel demanded that Turkey recant from Jehezkel’s stance that he was not “pro-war.”
A person under investigation for “publicly inciting the public to hatred and hostility” was detained before his release on Monday, pending trial.
An investigation has been initiated, according to Turkey’s Minister of Justice Yilmaz Tunc, into the player’s “reprehensible action endorsing Israel’s slaughter in Gaza.”
Jehezkel has been suspended by Antalyaspor, but the Israeli foreign ministry says he will travel home on Monday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has been a steadfast advocate for the Palestinian cause, including Hamas, and has expressed strong disapproval regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza. Since October 7, substantial pro-Palestinian demonstrations have also occurred in the country.
A translator told DHA that Jehezkel did not “move to provoke” and wanted the incident to finish.
“I do not support violence… Israeli personnel have been apprehended in Gaza. From my perspective, this 100-day period ought to conclude immediately. “I want an end to the war,” he declared.
Turkish Response to Jehezkel
On Sunday, one hundred days have passed since Hamas launched its lethal assaults on southern Israel, which primarily targeted civilians and claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 individuals. As hostages, some 240 persons were returned to Gaza; 132 of them are still being detained.
Since then, Israel has shelled the Gaza Strip with near-constant frequency, resulting in the deaths of over 23,000 people. According to the health ministry, which Hamas operates. It is believed that thousands more are buried beneath the debris.
Officials from Israel have criticized Turkey’s actions regarding Jehezkel.
Israeli support for Turkey during the earthquakes of the previous year was deemed “an expression of hypocrisy” by Defense Minister Yadav Gallant, who further accused Turkey of the same.
“In its actions, Turkey serves as the executive arm of Hamas,” according to him.
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett characterized the Turkish government’s behavior as despicable.
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Jehezkel, who joined Antalyaspor in September, was holding up the bandage, which also featured a star of David, to commemorate his 68th-minute equalizer against Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Liga.
Jehezkel was “expelled from the squad” and deemed to have “acted against the national values of our country,” according to a statement issued by Antalyaspor following the match.
The Turkish Football Federation deemed Antalyaspor’s exclusion of Jehezkel from the squad “appropriate” and characterized his conduct as “unacceptable.”
Caglayan Group, the primary uniform sponsor of Antalyaspor, has threatened to revoke their support should Jehezkel’s contract not be terminated.
