Reason for “inciting hatred and hostility”… The player only wishes for an end to the war.
Raising concerns about heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey
Israel condemns arrests as “representative of culture of murder and hatred”
Authorities in Turkiye on the 15th charged Sagib Zeheskel, an Israeli soccer player who expressed solidarity with people held hostage by Hamas, on charges of inciting hatred. Jehelskell was detained but released pending trial.
Antalyaspor player Zehelskel was interrogated late on the 14th after wearing a bandage with the words ‘100 Days, October 7th’ written on his wrist in relation to October 7th, when Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israel and kidnapped hostages. was detained to receive
The 28-year-old Israeli national team player told police he was simply demanding an end to the war.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunk said on the night of the 14th that Zehelskell is being investigated for “openly inciting hatred and hostility among the people,” adding, “Zehelskell has committed an ugly act of supporting the Israeli massacre in the Gaza Strip.” claimed.
In Turkye, where Israel’s military action against the Gaza Strip is strongly opposed and support for Palestine is overwhelming, Zehelskel’s actions are seen as provocative.
Antalyaspor announced that they had suspended Zehelskel from the team and were discussing the possibility of terminating his contract with the club’s lawyers.
The private NTV reported that Jehelskel is expected to return to Israel on a private plane with his family on the afternoon of the 15th (local time).
During police interrogation, Jehelskell denied the charge that he had acted provocatively and said, “I was merely expressing my wish for the war to end,” the private DHA news agency reported.
However, the Türkiye Football Federation criticized Zehelskel’s actions, calling them “actions that disturbed the conscience of the Türkiye people.”
Meanwhile, Turkiye’s detention in Zehelskel sparked anger in Israel and led to speculation that it would lead to heightened tensions between Israel and Turkiye.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticized the arrest, saying, “The arrest of a soccer player trying to show solidarity with the 136 people who have been held hostage by a murderous terrorist organization for over 100 days is representative of a culture of murder and hatred.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “Zechelskel’s detention is a scandal and Türkiye serves as Hamas’ executive arm.”
[앙카라(튀르키예)=AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.