ANKARA.- The authorities of Türkiye The Israeli soccer player was charged on Monday Sagiv Jehezkel of inciting hatred after he expressed solidarity with the hostages held by the militia Hamas during a first division match. He was released pending trial.
The player of Antalyaspor He had been detained for questioning on Sunday night after displaying a bandage on his wrist with the words “100 days 7.10,” referring to October 7 —the day Hamas attacked Israel and the hostages were captured— next to a Star of David.
The Israeli international, 28, He told the police that he was only asking for an end to the war.
The Minister of Justice, Yilmac Tuncsaid Sunday afternoon that Jehezkel was under investigation for possible charges of “openly inciting the public to hatred and hostility”. Tunc claimed in a statement on X that Jehezkel had done “an ugly gesture in support of the Israeli massacre in Gaza”.
The gesture was interpreted as provocative in Türkiyewhere there is widespread public opposition to Israeli military actions in Gaza and overwhelming support for the Palestinians.
He Antalyaspor suspended Jehezkel from the team and announced that he was speaking with the club’s lawyers about the possibility of terminating his contract.
During his interrogation by the police, The player denied accusations that he had made a provocative gestureaccording to the private news agency DHA.
“I’m not pro-war” he told police, as quoted by DHA. “I want this 100-day process to end. I want the war to end”.
The player added that “I have never participated in anything related to politics since I arrived. I have never disrespected anyone since the day I arrived. “What I wanted to draw attention to was the (need) for the war to end.”
The Turkish football federation condemned what it described as a gesture that “disturbed conscience” from the Turkish public.
Repudiation of actions in Türkiye:
In IsraelOn the other hand, the player’s arrest caused outrage.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, called on the international community and sports organizations to take action against Türkiye for his “political use of violence and threats against athletes.”
“Anyone who arrests a footballer for a show of solidarity with 136 captives who have been with a murderous terrorist organization for more than 100 days represents a culture of hate and murder“, he claimed.
The Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallantcalled Jehezkel’s arrest “scandalous.”
“In his actions, Türkiye serves as the ‘executive branch’ of Hamas”, he stated in X.
Source: AP
