After the nightmare in Turkey: Shagib Yehezkel landed in Israel./Yotam Ronan
After the terrorist attack by Hamas and some Gaza residents on the southern settlements on October 7, and the Israeli response, many countries in the world turned against Israel.
The Czech Republic, on the other hand, continued to support Israel and in response to the UN decision to call for a ceasefire, the Czech Defense Minister even called on the country to leave the UN: "The Czech Republic has no place in a body that supports terrorists."
Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that yesterday (Monday) a column was published in the Czech media that overwhelmingly supports Shigiv Yehezkel and accuses Turkey in general and Antalyaspor in particular, of bullying the Israeli footballer.
In his blog on idnes, one of the leading sites in the Czech Republic, the writer Lubomir Styskel said: "It all started with great euphoria... Antalyaspor hosted Trabzonspor and fell behind, but in the 68th minute found the equalizer. The scorer was the Israeli Shagib Yehezkel. The stands They trembled with joy and the conqueror ran to the cameras and revealed an inscription on the sweat shield on his hand.
"Every normal person understood what Ezekiel meant.
On that day we marked 100 days since the terrorist organization Hamas took back its compatriots.
But the clowns in sports and politics in Turkey interpreted it differently - in accordance with the anti-Israel line outlined by the local government headed by President Erdogan, a supporter of Hamas."
"Antalyaspor ordered Ezekiel to return to training? It's a bad joke"/Official website, Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor stings Yehezkel: "The wound remains open, it's clear who benefits"
Turkish journalist: "It's interesting if there are any Zionist footballers left here. They should all be expelled"
Antalyaspor coach: "Yehezkel? His only role was to play football"
The world presented with astonishment the case of Shagiv Yehezkel, The Turkish side was highlighted on the BBC
More in Walla!
"As part of the legal battle": Antalyaspor registered Shagiv Yehezkel in the squad
To the full article
Styskel continued: "The media in Turkey immediately turned Ezekiel's human gesture into a political one and in an amazing and repulsive way, Ezekiel became a victim of anti-Israel hysteria. He was kicked out of the squad, arrested by the police and taken to court... all because he behaved like a human being and showed solidarity with abductees taken captive by a terrorist organization."
The Czech journalist also wrote: "A few days ago Yehezkel received a message from Antalyaspor ordering him to return to training, in Turkey of course. Antalyaspor claims that he was not released. This is simply a bad joke. The Israeli footballer himself is convinced that the club has violated the contract with him and the matter will be discussed by FIFA.
"It is almost needless to say that after what Ezekiel experienced in Turkey, the hysterical hate campaign against him, the politicization of a human gesture, the bullying, the arrest, the interrogation - and all in an anti-Israeli atmosphere - if he returns to Turkey he will probably lose his sanity."
More on the same topic:
Antalyaspor
Yehezkel responded
Czech Republic