Jehezkel was hailed by supporters at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. Image: REUTERS
Israel’s Sagiv Jehezkel departs Turkey.
An Israeli football player who caused a stir during a game in Turkey by showing his support for the hostages in Gaza has returned home.
Sagiv Jehezkel was temporarily held in the southern city of Antalya following Sunday’s match and charged with inciting.
If he goes back to Turkey, it’s uncertain if he will be prosecuted. He was fired by Antalyaspor, his club.
An intense verbal spat broke out between the Turkish and Israeli governments following Jehezkel’s arrest.
The 28-year old player, who joined Antalyaspor in September, was showing off his bandaged hand with the words “100 days. 7/10” while celebrating an equaliser in a Turkish Super Lig game. A star of David was also attached to the bandage.
On Sunday, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Hamas’s murderous onslaught on southern Israel, which began 100 days earlier.
Roughly 132 of the approximately 240 hostages that were carried back to Gaza are still detained.
Over 23,000 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as a result of the attack, according to the health ministry operated by Hamas.
Following the event on Sunday, the player’s “ugly action supporting Israel’s massacre in Gaza” was the subject of an investigation, according to Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has long been an outspoken supporter of Hamas and the Palestinians, and he has been quite critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Since October 7, there have also been sizable pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the nation.
The player was referred to as “Israel’s vile dog in a footballer’s clothing” by Mr. Erdogan’s top advisor.
Jehezkel made a statement through a translator, according to the local media, stating that he did not “make a move to provoke” but rather that he wanted the battle to end.
“I don’t support going to war… Israeli troops have been apprehended in Gaza. I think that the current 100-day term ought to come to an end right now. He declared, “I want the war to end.”
Israeli officials have taken issue with Turkey’s treatment of the football player.
Yadav Gallant, the minister of defence, charged Turkey of acting as a “de facto executive arm” of Hamas and stated that Israel had assisted Turkey during the earthquakes of the previous year.
Jehezkel’s conduct were deemed “unacceptable” by the Turkish Football Federation, which also deemed Antalyaspor’s decision to leave him off the team “appropriate”.