Turkey detains Israeli soccer player for showing support for hostages, accuses him of ‘ugly gesture’
Turkish authorities have detained soccer club Antalyaspor’s Israeli player Sagiv Jehezkel for questioning after he displayed solidarity with people held hostage by the Hamas militant organization during a top-flight league game.
The player told police he was simply calling for an end to the war when after scoring a goal he displayed a bandage on his wrist with the words “100 Days 7.10” – in reference to October 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel and the hostages were abducted – next to a Star of David.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Sunday that Jehezkel, a 28-year-old Israeli international, is under investigation over possible charges of “openly inciting the public to hatred and hostility.” Tunc maintained in a statement posted on X that Jehezkel had engaged in “an ugly gesture in support of the Israeli massacre in Gaza.”
The gesture was deemed to be provocative in Turkey where there is widespread public opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza and overwhelming support for the Palestinians.
Antalyaspor suspended Jehezkel from the team and announced that it was speaking to the club’s lawyers about the possibility of terminating his contract.
During his questioning by police, the player denied accusations that he engaged in a provocative act, the private DHA news agency reported.
“I am not pro-war,” DHA quoted him as telling police. “I want this 100-day process to come to an end. I want the war to end.”
Jehezkel continued: “I have never engaged in anything related to politics since my arrival. I have never disrespected anyone since the day I arrived. The point I wanted to draw attention to was [the need] for an end of the war.”
The Turkish Football Federation condemned what it said was a gesture that “disturbed the conscience” of the Turkish public.
Jehezkel’s detention, meanwhile, sparked outrage in Israel.
“Shame on you, Turkish government,” Israeli former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet wrote on X. [AP]
