There are two of them and they are among the very rare players of Israeli nationality playing in the Turkish football championship. Two young men, starters in different clubs, both accused of inciting hatred for having reminded the public of the massacre of October 7, 2023 perpetrated by Hamas, on the occasion of the hundredth day of conflict in Gaza.
Arrested on the evening of Sunday January 14, after the Süper Lig match for having worn in front of the cameras a bandage on his wrist on which was written, in English, “100 days, 07/10”, with a Star of David drawn in hand, Sagiv Jehezkel, 28, player of the Antalya city club, Antalyaspor, was released the next day after his police custody. On the field, he scored the equalizing goal against the Trabzonspor team.
According to several sources, an investigation was opened by the city prosecutor’s office. An expulsion procedure from the territory was also launched against the player. The club has already announced that it had excluded him from the team. On the Israeli side, a private plane reportedly took off during the night to pick up Sagiv Jehezkel and his family. The latest news was that they had left the territory late Monday afternoon.
“I am not pro-war”
The other player to have aroused the ire of the authorities and ignited social networks well beyond Turkey, Eden Karzev, 23, finds himself in trouble with his Istanbul club, Basaksehir, for having posted on Instagram, that same Sunday, around midnight, an image of the number “one hundred”, with two yellow ribbons, accompanied by the hashtag, still in English, “Bring them home”. Again, with a little Star of David.
The club management of the Basaksehir team, known for its proximity to the Turkish presidency, immediately announced a disciplinary investigation against its midfielder. The press release released during the day specifies that“Eden Karzev violated club instructions by publishing messages that contradict the sensitivities of our country”.
According to the NTV channel, which had access to Sagiv Jehezkel’s statement at the Antalya police station, the local team player defended himself, in front of the officers, from any provocation or lack of respect. “I didn’t do anything to provoke anyone. I am not pro-war. There are Israelis being held hostage in Gaza”, he said. And to specify: “I have never disrespected anyone since I was in Turkey. I want the war to stop. That’s why I showed this sign. »
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