Israeli player excluded from Turkish football club squad over gesture flouting 'national values'

Israeli player Sagiv Jehezkel has been excluded from the squad of Antalyaspor over a gesture that went against "national values," the Turkish football club announced Sunday.

"Sagiv Jehezkel, following his goal in the 68th minute during the match against Trabzonspor, has been deemed to have acted against our country's national values by sharing an inscription on his wrist. In response, the board of directors has decided to exclude him from the squad," Antalyaspor said in a statement.

Antalyaspor said their stance was unequivocal, emphasizing that the club would not tolerate behavior that goes against the country's sensitivities, regardless of the potential for a championship or cup victory.

The Turkish top-tier side added that the decision to prioritize national values over sporting achievements underscores the importance placed on maintaining a sense of unity and respect for the country's principles.

Jehezkel shared a message of solidarity with Israel by raising his bandaged hand after scoring a goal against Trabzonspor.

The message refers to the attack carried out by Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7 and the 100 days that have since passed.

The 29-year-old right-winger scored six goals and two assists in 13 matches for Antalyaspor.

Since Oct. 7, Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group which Tel Aviv claims killed 1,200 people in Israel.

At least 23,968 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 60,582 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.