Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel charged in Turkey after goal celebration marks 100 days since Hamas terror attack
TURKISH authorities have charged Israeli football player Sagiv Jehezkel with inciting hatred after he marked 100 days since Hamas’ October 7 attacks during a match on Sunday.
Jehezkel, 28, could face deportation after Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc dubbed the act an “ugly gesture”.
After scoring a goal the footballer displayed a bandage on his wrist which read “100 days 7.10” in reference to the grim milestone in the Israel-Hamas war.
He was then arrested and later charged with “openly inciting the public to hatred and hostility”.
Antalyaspor said they had terminated his contract and booted him from the team following the display during Sunday’s match.
Tunc said on Sunday that Jehezkel, who plays for Turkish club Antalyaspor, had performed an “ugly gesture in support of the Israeli massacre in Gaza”.
Reports suggest he has since been released from police custody but could be deported to Israel.
The player told Antalyaspor officials he was calling for an end to the war.
He said: “I decided to make a humanitarian tribute to the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
“It was important for me to emphasize that they have been in captivity for 100 days.
“I had no intention to provoke or express a stance on the matter. I understand the sensitivity in Turkey; it was purely a tribute.”
There is widespread opposition in Turkey to Israel’s actions in Gaza, as the international community has called for Netanyahu to ease military action in the war-torn Strip.
The Turkish Football Federation dubbed it a gesture that “disturbed the conscience” of the public.
Jehezkel’s arrest sparked outrage in Israel, with former Israeli PM Naftali Bennet writing on X/Twitter: “Shame on you, Turkish government”.
And Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant has accused Turkey of acting as the “executive arm of Hamas” following the decision.
He dubbed the move an “expression of hypocrisy and ingratitude”.
“When the earth shook in Turkey less than a year ago, Israel was the first country to stand up and extend aid that saved the lives of many Turkish citizens,” Gallant said, referring the earthquake in Turkey and Syria last year.
“The scandalous arrest of the footballer Sagiv Jehezkel is an expression of hypocrisy and ingratitude.
“In its actions, Turkey serves as the executive arm of Hamas.”
Television channel NTV said he is expected to return to Israel today with his family on a private jet.
DHA said he told Turkish cops he is “not pro-war”, but that he wants the war to end.
Jehezkel also added: “Throughout my time in Turkey, I never expressed any stance on the matter.
“When the club’s officials informed me about a ceremony commemorating the casualties in Gaza before a match in Gaziantep and allowed me not to attend, I stayed in Antalya, and everything was fine.
“In essence, I drew half a heart and wrote the number 100. It wasn’t intended as a provocation; quite the opposite.
!It’s about empathy for captives who have been there for so many days. I insisted throughout my time to stay focused solely on soccer.”
Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz also said: “Whoever arrests a football player for a show of solidarity with 136 captives who are more than 100 days with the terrorists of a murderous terrorist organization, represents a culture of murder and hate.”
As Sunday marked 100 days since Hamas’ brutal October 7 attacks, Israel released a huge amount of data on its efforts to wipe out the terror organisation.
It said over 9,000 Hamas terrorists had been killed since October 7, along with around 1,000 terrorists inside Israel.
Meanwhile the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said that over 23,000 Palestinian civilians have died during the war.
Israel disputes these figures, while US President Joe Biden previously said he had “no confidence” in them.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted that Israel has “not been successful” in reducing civilian casualties.
Israel has faced repeated international calls to relent in it’s attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Calls from the UN for a ceasefire have been echoed by religious leaders including the Pope and even it’s staunchest ally, the US, has warned caution.
But Israeli forces have said that months of fighting lie ahead.