National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slams Turkey over arrest of Israeli soccer player, accusing the country of Nazism.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
A senior Israeli minister called for a boycott of Turkey Monday, after an Israeli soccer player was dropped from his Turkish soccer club and arrested for offering his support to Israelis held captive by Gaza terrorists.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “Nazi,” and accused Turkish authorities of “Nazism” in Sagiv Jehezkel.
“Turkey is exhibiting Nazism towards Israeli players and anything which smells of Israeliness,” Ben-Gvir tweeted.
“Erdogan is a Nazi in every sense. I call on Israelis not to fly to Turkey, not to buy any Turkish products, and not to help them make a living. The State of Israel and Israeli citizens must not be forgiving towards Turkey. We cannot let them trample us.”
Jehezkel, who had played for Turkey’s Antalyaspor soccer club, was booted from the team and jailed after he made a public show of support for Israelis held captive by Gaza terrorists.
During a game Sunday, the Israeli soccer star had shown off his bandaged wrist to the cameras and made a heart sign with his hands after scoring a goal. Jehezkel had written on his wrist “100 days 10/7,” referring to the date of the Hamas invasion of Israel.
The soccer club terminated his contract shortly thereafter, and Jehezkel was inundated with hate mail and death threats, before being arrested on suspicion of “inciting people to hatred and hostility.”
While Jehezkel was later released from detention and returned to Israel, the incident heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey, which have been strained since the October 7th invasion.
Ankara and Jerusalem had restored full diplomatic relations in 2022, after years of tensions, following the 2010 attempt by a Turkish ship to run Israel’s security blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan leader of the hardline Justice and Development Party who has aligned himself with Islamist causes in both Turkey and abroad, was reelected last May with 52% of the vote, defeating a liberal reformist, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.