Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, criticised FC Barcelona player Lamine Yamal on Thursday, accusing him of "inciting and fostering hatred" after images emerged of the footballer waving a Palestinian flag in Barcelona. The incident took place during the club's La Liga title celebrations in the Catalan capital.
"Lamine Yamal chose to incite against Israel and foster hatred while our soldiers fight the terrorist organisation Hamas, which massacred, raped, burned, and murdered Jewish children, women, and elderly on 7 October," Katz stated in a message posted on his X account, written in Spanish.
Katz questioned the morality of supporting such messages, asking, "Whoever supports this type of message must ask themselves: do they consider this humanitarian? Is this moral?" He added that he would not remain silent in the face of what he called "incitement against Israel and against the Jewish people."
The minister also expressed his expectation that FC Barcelona would distance itself from the incident and make it unequivocally clear that there is no place "for incitement or for supporting terrorism."
Yamal's Social Media Impact
The 18-year-old player's actions became one of the most discussed images of the La Liga title celebrations in Barcelona this week. Yamal waved a Palestinian flag, handed to him by a fan, for several minutes. The footballer later shared the gesture on his Instagram account, where he has over 42 million followers, generating widespread discussion on social media.
This incident follows a period of heightened international tension and debate surrounding the conflict in the Middle East, with public figures often facing scrutiny for their expressions of support or condemnation.
