A Turkish club considers legal action and potential dismissal for an Israeli footballer who expressed support for hostages taken in the Hamas attacks on October 7 during a goal celebration.
Antalyaspor player Sagiv Jehezkel displayed a bandaged hand reading “100 days. 7/10” during a match.
The October 7 attacks led to Israel’s Gaza bombardment, resulting in significant casualties.
Turkey accused the footballer of endorsing ‘Israel’s massacre in Gaza,’ while Jehezkel clarified he is not ‘pro-war,’ and Israel criticized Turkey for hypocrisy.
He was briefly detained and released pending trial on Monday, facing investigation for ‘publicly inciting the public to hatred and hostility.’
Turkey’s Minister of Justice Yilmaz Tunc announced the initiation of an investigation into the player’s ‘ugly action supporting Israel’s massacre in Gaza.’
Sagiv Jehezkel has been suspended by Antalyaspor, and Israel’s Foreign Minister mentioned his expected return on Monday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a steadfast supporter of Palestinians, including Hamas, has been critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Large pro-Palestinian rallies have taken place in Turkey since October 7.
According to local outlet DHA, Jehezkel, through a translator, stated that he did not intend to provoke but rather wished for an end to the war.
“I am not a pro-war person… there are Israeli soldiers captured in Gaza. I am someone who believes that this 100-day period should end now. I want the war to end,” he said.
Sunday marked the 100th day since Hamas initiated its deadly attacks on southern Israel, resulting in the loss of approximately 1,200 lives, predominantly civilians. Around 240 individuals were taken as hostages, and approximately 132 are still held in Gaza.
Since then, Israel has conducted a sustained campaign of bombardment in the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 23,000 casualties, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry. Thousands more are believed to be buried under rubble.
Israeli officials have criticized Turkey’s actions regarding Jehezkel. Defence Minister Yadav Gallant highlighted Israel’s past support for Turkey during last year’s earthquakes and accused Turkey of displaying “an expression of hypocrisy.”
“In its actions, Turkey serves as the executive arm of Hamas,” he said.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed condemnation for Turkey’s government, deeming its conduct shameful.
During the Turkish Super Lig match against Trabzonspor, Sagiv Jehezkel, who joined Antalyaspor in September, celebrated his 68th-minute equalizer by holding up a bandage adorned with a Star of David. Following the match, Antalyaspor released a statement asserting that Jehezkel had “acted against the national values of our country” and would be “excluded from the squad.”
The Turkish Football Federation deemed Jehezkel’s actions “unacceptable” and endorsed Antalyaspor’s decision to exclude him from the squad. Caglayan Group, Antalyaspor’s primary shirt sponsor, declared intentions to withdraw sponsorship if Jehezkel’s contract was not terminated.