An Israeli footballer who displayed a message referring to the Israel-Hamas war during a match in Turkey has been arrested, according to reports in Turkish media.
Earlier on Sunday, the country’s justice minister announced an investigation into Sagiv Jehezkel over the incident for suspected “incitement to hate”, after his club, Antalyaspor, sacked him over the matter.
After scoring a goal for his team against Trabsonspor, Jehezkel revealed a message which read “100 days. 07/10” on a bandage on his left wrist.
The message was a reference to the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October and the number of days that more than 130 Israeli hostages have been held in Gaza. Israel’s ongoing assault to destroy Hamas has killed at least 23,000 people in Gaza – mostly women and children – according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
“The Antalya public prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation against Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel for public incitement to hate due to his odious celebration in favour of the massacre committed by Israel in Gaza,” said Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc in a post online.
“We will continue to support the oppressed Palestinians,” he added, denouncing what he described as ongoing “genocide” in Gaza.
Antalyaspor said it had sacked the Israeli player, accusing him of having “acted against the values of our country”.
Since the start of the conflict, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a traditional supporter of the Palestinian cause, has repeatedly described Israel as a “terrorist state”, insisting Hamas is a “group of liberators”.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
• The headline of this article was amended on 15 January 2024 to better reflect the events reported.
