An Israeli footballer has been arrested and fired from his club in Turkey after scoring a goal for hostages taken by Hamas on Black Saturday more than 100 days ago.
Turkish police arrested Israeli player Sagiv Jehezkel and questioned him on Monday over a message he showed on his wrist during a top-level match, referring to the passage of 100 days since the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, according to state media.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said prosecutors were investigating Jehezkel on charges of “incitement to hatred and hostility” for showing a note on his bandaged wrist reading “100 days, 7:10 a.m.,” next to a emblem of the Jewish Star of David.
Jehezkel, 28, held up his clenched fist to deliver the message after scoring a goal for his team, southern Turkish club Antalyaspor, against Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.
Antalya prosecutors have launched an investigation into Jehezkel “for his ugly gesture in support of Israel’s massacre in Gaza after scoring a goal,” Tunc said on social media platform X.
Sagiv Jehezkel (pictured) held up his clenched fist to show his bandaged wrist and said “100 days, 7.10,” next to an emblem of the Jewish Star of David
He said the gesture was in solidarity with Israeli hostages, including Noa Argamani, who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7
Jehezkel has been released pending trial, and Israeli media reported that a private plane was sent from Israel to pick him and his family up so they could return him home.
Turkish media reported that his club’s boss, Sinan Boztepe, fired him, saying: ‘Our national values come before everything. It doesn’t matter how much the player brings to the club. We will terminate his contract.”
Despite the serious consequences, Israeli media reported that Jehezkel did not regret his gesture, saying: “It was a gesture for the Israeli hostages in Gaza, a humanitarian gesture.”
‘I thought it was important to point out that they have been in captivity for 100 days. I didn’t want to provoke anyone. I know the Turkish feelings, it was just a gesture.
‘I only wrote the number 100 and symbolized half a heart with my hand.
Pro-Israel supporters wave pre-revolution Israeli and Iranian flags as they gather for a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in central London on January 14, 2024
People hold posters depicting Israeli hostages in Gaza during the “100 Days 100 Votes” event marking 100 days since the October 7 Hamas attack, calling for their release, in front of the Opera Bastille in Paris, France, January 14, 2024
Israeli singer David Broza performs at The Yellow Piano NYC on the 100th day since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 in Washington Square Park on January 14, 2024 in New York City
‘This should not incite anyone. On the contrary, it should generate empathy for the people who have been stuck there for so long.
Fighters from the Islamist group Hamas stormed through Israeli communities on October 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 240 hostages.
The devastating war lasted 100 days on Sunday, with Israeli tanks and aircraft hitting targets in southern and central Gaza, amid heavy firefights in some areas.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll from Israeli attacks is almost 24,000, with more than 60,000 injured.
Rallies were held in Israel and elsewhere on Sunday in support of the hostages still held in Gaza.
Turkey is a fierce critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, which was launched in response to the October 7 attack.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on January 1 that what Israel did to the Gaza Strip is “no less than what Hitler did.”
In the weeks following Israel’s ground and air campaign against the Gaza Strip, Erdogan increasingly condemned Israel’s actions as “genocide” while describing Hamas as “freedom fighters.”