Turkey Expels Israeli Soccer Star After Scoring Goal
Sagiv Yehezkel gestures with his hand a half heart following the scoring of his famous goal. Photo: YouTube generated.
A cartoon published in Turkey featuring Israeli footballer, Sagiv Yehezkel, covered with blood during a massacre of 10,000 Palestinian kids. Photo: YouTube generated.
By Henry Levy
“FIFA’s vision is to make football (soccer) truly global, diverse and inclusive, for the benefit of the entire world” according to its president Gianni Infantino. According to its mission statement to do so “in the light of its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values, particularly through youth and development programs.”
FIFA stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association. According to its statement in 2021 FIFA “calls on all parties involved in heated discussions to engage in calm, constructive and balanced dialogue for the good of the game and in the spirit of solidarity and fair play.”
The Turkish Football Federation appears to have a different take on its mission. One could easily see the TFF putting politics above all other considerations especially in light of how it dealt with Israeli soccer star Sagiv Jehezkel who played for Antaliaspor in the Super League until he was dismissed on January 14, 2024.
So, what bombshell exploded on Sunday, January 14 th to make a soccer goal the incarnation of the shot heard around the world?
In the 68th minute of a match against Trabzonspor, Sagiv scored the game tying goal. Immediately after the game Antalyaspor posted a photo of Sagiv on social media celebrating his goal but after intensely negative backlash from fans and the media just minutes later took it down.
After his goal, Sagiv made a heart sign with his hands and displayed a bandage on his injured wrist with the words ”100 days, 7.10” along with small Star of David. The 7.10 referring to October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel murdering 1200 men, women, children and babies and kidnapping about 240 hostages, and the number 100 referring to it being 100 days since the attack.
Antalyaspor club suspended Jehezkel as criticism of his action continued to grow including protests that he be fired. His team accused him of having “acted against the values of our country” and dismissed him from the team (he was in the first of a three year deal).
Club president, Sinan Boztepe said Jehezkel “acted against the sensitivities of Antalya, Antalyaspor and our country.”Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc wrote in a post on social media platform X that “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.” The TFF condemned Jehezkel’s action as “completely unacceptable.”
Jehezkel was arrested, detained overnight, attended a court hearing the following day, was released pending trial and then along with his family flew to Israel.
Jehezkel protested his innocence saying, “I did not do anything to provoke anyone. I am not a pro-war person. The point I wanted to draw attention to was the end of the war.” Jehezkel was just one of hundreds of thousands of people around the world supporting the release of the 132 hostages, some of whom have died, that are still being held by the Hamas terrorists on the 100 th day of their captivity.
Israel’s former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, tweeted, “This is Turkey 2024. Shame on you, Turkish Government.”
Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, said, “Turkey serves as “de facto executive arm of Hamas.” He also mentioned that during Turkey’s horrific earthquake the previous year, Israel raced to help as the first country to provide aid and set up a field hospital saving Turkish lives.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Yisroel Katz, said Turkey was working against human values and sports.
It was unclear if Jehezkel’s contract was officially terminated and if so whether Antalyaspor would need to pay him over $1 million. Or, if he returned to Turkey a trial would be held and a kangaroo court would sentence him to years in jail.
Turkey, under President Erdogan, is notorious for being one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists with 40 currently behind bars under its so-called “disinformation law”.
After the 2016 coup attempt over 160,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants were suspended or dismissed together with about 77,000 formally arrested. Note to Jehezkel - don’t go back!
The Gaza war was previously an issue in the TFF when weeks after the war started, Jehezkel and Arab-Israeli teammate Ramzi Safouri sat out a game after the league in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza held a moment of silence without any mention that Hamas triggered the war with its terror attack against Israel.
Within days of the Jehezkel incident a second Israeli soccer star, Eden Karzev, of the Istanbul Basaksehir team was fired after a social media post calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.
Karzev was also briefly held by police for actions “contrary to our country’s sensitivities” and fined by his club before being sent back to Israel and his team, Macabbi Tel Aviv Football Club.
