Antalya, Turkey – Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel, who was suspended from Turkish club Antalyaspor after a protest in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza, has been released by police and is returning to Israel. Jehezkel had been detained by authorities in Antalya, Turkey for displaying a bandaged wrist with the message “100 days, 7/10” during a match. The message was a reference to the Israeli hostages who had been held for 100 days after a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7. Jehezkel’s suspension from Antalyaspor is still in effect, and legal proceedings are ongoing to terminate his contract.
The 28-year-old forward scored six goals and recorded two assists in 13 matches for Antalyaspor this season. However, the club made the decision to suspend Jehezkel, stating that his actions went against “national values” and he was “excluded from the squad by the decision of the board of directors.” Antalyaspor’s Deputy Chairman, Alkan Evren, confirmed that the club is working on terminating Jehezkel’s contract.
Jehezkel’s on-pitch protest sparked controversy, with Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç calling it an “ugly action supporting Israel’s massacre in Gaza.” Another Israeli player, Eden Karzev, who plays for Istanbul Basaksehir, is also facing a disciplinary investigation by his club for a social media post related to the Israeli-Gaza conflict.
This is not the first time that soccer players have become embroiled in controversy over the Israel-Gaza conflict. Algerian player Youcef Atal, who plays for French club OGC Nice, was recently given a suspended sentence and a fine for reposting a video by a Palestinian preacher calling for harm to come to Jews.
The tensions surrounding the Israeli-Gaza conflict continue to spill into the world of sports, with players expressing their views and taking actions that reflect their personal beliefs. However, these actions often provoke strong reactions and consequences, as clubs and authorities grapple with the complexity of balancing sports and politics. As Jehezkel and Karzev’s cases demonstrate, the intersection of sports and geopolitics can have far-reaching implications for athletes and their professional careers.