Israeli footballer, Sagiv Jehezkel, has been dismissed and arrested by his Turkish club, Antalyaspor, for dedicating a goal to hostages taken by Hamas.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, Turkish police detained and questioned him on Monday regarding a message he displayed on his bandaged wrist that read ‘100 days, 7.10,’ during a top-tier match.
The said message alluded to the passage of 100 days since the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.
The 28-year-old Jehezkel reportedly raised his clenched fist to showcase the message after scoring a goal for his team against Trabzonspor in Turkey’s Super League on Sunday.
The president of his Turkish club, Sinan Boztepe, revealed on X that Jehezkel had been fired from the club for the gesture.
Boztepe wrote, “Sagiv Jehezkel, who was seen to have acted against the national values of our country by sharing the writing on his wrist after scoring the goal has been decided to be excluded from the squad by the decision of the board of directors.
“Our Board of Directors will never allow behavior against the sensitivities of our country, even if it results in a championship or a cup.”
The Turkish Football Federation supported the decision of the club in a post on its official X handle, noting that they completely condemn Jehezkel’s act.
The statement read, “We condemn the completely unacceptable behavior of football player Segiv Jehezkel in the Bitexen Antalyaspor – Trabzonspor match. We find Bitexen Antalyaspor’s decision to exclude the player from the squad appropriate.”
