Court releases Israeli footballer after pro-Israel gesture at match
ANTALYA
A Turkish court has released an Israeli footballer after he was detained over showing a pro-Israel message referring to the Gaza war during a match of his club Antalyaspor.
Following scoring a goal at a match between Antalyaspor and Trabzonspor on Jan. 14, Israeli player Sagiv Jehezkel celebrated it by gesturing to a message written on a bandage on his left wrist, which read "100 days. 07/10.”
The message that was a reference to the 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war and the hostages held since Hamas group launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year also featured the Star of David.
Shortly after Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç stated that an investigation was launched into the footballer’s gesture, the 28-year-old player was detained over the charges of “openly inciting the public to hatred and hostility.”
The local media on Jan. 15 reported that an Antalya court released him pending trial.. NTV television reported that a private plane had been sent from Israel to pick up Jehezkel and his family so that they could return home.
Israel furiously condemned Jehezkel's detention, sending relations between the two regional powers to a new low.
"I call on the international community and the international sports organisations to act against Türkiye and against its political use of violence and threats against athletes,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also harshly critcized the Turkish authorities over the detention of the player.
In his initial statement to the police on Jan. 15, Jehezkel explained that he did not intend to provoke or incite anyone with his gesture, adding that he simply wanted to convey a message for the end of the war.
"I am not a supporter of war. And after all, Israeli soldiers are also in captivity in Gaza. I believe that this 100-day process needs to come to an end. I want the war to end. That's why I showed this sign. I am a non-political person.”
“I have never done anything related to politics since I arrived [in Türkiye]. I have never disrespected anyone since I came here. I know the sensitivity in Türkiye, it was a pure gesture. The point I wanted to highlight was the end of the war," Jehezkel said.
Following the incident, the head of the player's club announced that his contract would be terminated, accusing Jehezkel of having "acted against the values of our country.”
"I will not accept such behavior, even if it costs us in winning titles," club president Sinan Boztepe told the local media. "No matter how much respect the footballer brings us, the values of the country and national honor stand above everything. We will invite him for a conversation, hear his version, and say goodbye to him."
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also condemned “the completely unacceptable behavior” of Jehezkel, noting that the federation “finds Antalyaspor's decision to exclude the player from its team appropriate.”
Local media reported that Jehezkel had previously been temporarily suspended from the squad for a week due to his refusal to participate in a minute of silence for Palestine before Antalyaspor's match against Gaziantep.
In a separate incident, Istanbul's top-flight side Başahşehir said it was launching a disciplinary investigation into another Israeli player, Eden Karzev, for reposting a social media message about the hostages reading: "Bring Them Home Now.”