Israeli Soccer Player Arrested by Turkish Police for Honoring Hamas’s Hostages

Turkish authorities arrested and detained for interrogation Sunday an Israeli soccer player after he called attention to the hostages Hamas kidnapped during its brutal invasion of Israel on October 7.

Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel was suspended from competing with the Turkish Süper Lig club Antalyaspor on Sunday after he made a sign with his hands, showing the words “100 days. 7.10” along with a Star of David symbol on his wristband. He made the gesture after scoring a goal in the game, which ended in a 1–1 draw against Trabzonspor, the opposing Turkish professional sports club.

After the incident, Antalyaspor announced on X that it was suspending Jehezkel “until further notice” following intense backlash from fans in Turkey. Sinan Boztepe, the president of Antalyaspor, said in a subsequent post that the Israeli player had “acted against the sensitivities of Antalya, Antalyaspor, and our country,” according to a translation from the Times of Israel.

Antalyaspor had posted a photo of Jehezkel on social media to celebrate his goal right after the game but scrubbed it shortly after, in response to the outcry, the outlet reported.

After Jehezkel dedicated his goal to the Israeli captives, he was arrested and brought in for police questioning, Axios reported.

Turkish prosecutors then launched an investigation against Jehezkel on charges of “inciting people to hatred and hostility.” The incitement was his declaration of support for the hostages, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said, according to Reuters.

“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 after scoring a goal in the Antalyaspor-Trabzonspor Super Lig match,” Tunc wrote on X.

President Biden also issued a statement raising awareness for the 100-day mark since the hostages were captured by Hamas. International collaboration with countries in the region is ongoing to secure the release of the remaining hostages, according to the statement.

“I look forward to maintaining close contact with my counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to return all hostages home and back to their families,” the statement said.