Turkey To Probe Israeli Soccer Player’s Gesture Marking 100 Days of War
Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced on Sunday an official investigation into Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel. The 28-year-old, who plays for the Turkish Süper Lig club Antalyaspor and is also a member of Israel’s national team, is facing allegations of “inciting people to hatred and hostility” due to a gesture he made during a football match.
“A judicial investigation has been initiated by Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against Israeli football player Sagiv Jehezkel for ‘inciting people to hatred and hostility’ due to his ugly gesture supporting Israel’s massacre in Gaza after scoring a goal in the Antalyaspor-Trabzonspor Süper Lig match,” Tunç said in a post to social media platform X.
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The charges revolve around a specific gesture made by Jehezkel after he scored a goal in which he displayed a bandaged hand with the written message “100 days, 7.10,” referencing the Hamas attack on October 7 and the 100 days of war that have followed.
Media reports suggest that Jehezkel may have been detained for questioning, but this claim could not be independently verified.
Thursday’s incident is the latest example of the seriously deteriorating relationship between Turkey and Israel, as bilateral relations between Turkey and Israel have become increasingly fraught in the months following Hamas’ attack. Turkish and Israeli leaders have traded rhetorical blows at length in recent months, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler during a speech in late December. The following week, Turkish authorities disclosed the arrest of 33 individuals on suspicion of spying for Israel.
