Kyrie Irving performing with a keffiyeh for Dallas' game against Milwaukee/From Twitter
Kyrie Irving is known to support the Palestinians, and in the past has even spoken out in a way that reflects anti-Semitic views, so it was no surprise that the controversial coordinator expressed solidarity with Palestine and Gaza last night (between Saturday and Sunday) against the backdrop of the war in Gaza. Irving showed up for the Dallas Mavericks' game against Milwaukee with a keffiyeh on his head, and wore it at his postgame press conference in solidarity with the Palestinians. Irving did not elaborate on his "fashion" choice, and the journalists there ignored him and did not ask him a question on the subject, doubtful whether out of conscious choice or not.
Since then, Irving's gesture has been widely celebrated and addressed in the Arab world, especially in light of the fact that the NBA was almost unanimous when it came to supporting the Israeli side in the war that began following the October 7 massacre.
Irving's bizarre tweet
Dr. Omar Suleiman, a Muslim American who frequently tweets against Israel these days, wrote of Irving: "He wore a keffiyeh and supported Palestine, he doesn't know what that means?" and showed pictures of Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela with Arab keffiyehs. Jackson Hinkle, another active Israel-hater, also boasted about Irving's gesture, in another tweet that received millions of views.
On the other hand, of course, Irving received more criticism from Israeli supporters, who mocked him and teased him on social media. Irving has once again been portrayed as an anti-Semite after his high-profile involvement in the past, when he was punished by Brooklyn and suspended after publishing a film that spread false antisemitic claims.
It is believed in the US that Irving has also been under great pressure over the past 2018 hours due to his public support for the Palestinians, and this evening he tweeted another unclear message, as usual when he wrote: "Tribe. We have to stay together, no matter what." He signed with a name he calls himself, Chief Hella (a Native American name he received from a Native American tribe during a ceremony in <>).
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Irving, who converted to Islam several years ago, is a well-known supporter of the Palestinians. Earlier this month, he shared a tweet citing the death toll in the Gaza Strip, writing that he was "mourning them all." In August, the coordinator shared a photo from the funeral of Palestinian Qusai Ma'tan, who was killed in the village of Burqah, near Ramallah, during clashes with settlers.
In 2021, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, Irving said it was "sad to see this happen" and accused Israel of killing "innocent innocent children and babies." He also posted a series of anti-Israeli posts on social networks in which he wrote that "the IDF shoots Palestinians at Al-Aqsa" and defined terrorists as "Palestinian freedom fighters." Last year, he shared a video with antisemitic content on Twitter and was suspended by the NBA.
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