2023-10-21 16:51:58
Two Israeli players from Antalyaspor, team from the Turkish Super Leaguerefused to play a game this Saturday in protest of a ceremony honoring the Palestinians killed during Israeli airstrikes on Gazareported the club and local media.
The Israeli internationals Ramzi Safuri and Sagiv Jehezkel, of Antalyaspor, will not play against Gaziantepspor this Saturday due to the planned ceremony, a club spokesperson confirmed to the German agency dpa. The club, coached by former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin, will make a statement this Saturday, the spokesperson said.
Minute of silence
The Turkish Football Federation announced on Thursday a minute of silence at this weekend’s matches for civilians killed in the war. Players will also wear black armbands and a banner in solidarity with Gaza. Türkiye called three days of national mourning for Gaza on Wednesday.
Jehezkel and Safuri have been playing for Antalyaspor since September. Local media outlets, including the Hürriyet newspaper, quoted the two players as saying that they “will not participate in this ceremony or go to the stadium.” “The bad news coming from the country has made playing football for us an almost impossible task,” they indicated.
Related news
The Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, unleashed a large-scale attack on Israel about two weeks ago, targeting civilian communities and a music festival.
Israel responded to the attack with an intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip and has also imposed a tight blockade on Gaza and prevented the entry of food, medicine and fuel, prompting dire warnings about the conditions faced by civilians in the impoverished territory.
#Israeli #players #refuse #play #Turkish #Super #League #protest #solidarity #Gaza