BEIRUT: Israel’s defense minister on Thursday accused Barcelona’s superstar Lamine Yamal of inciting hate against Israeli soldiers after he waved a Palestinian flag while his club celebrated winning the La Liga title.
“Lamine Yamal chose to incite against Israel and foment hatred while our soldiers are fighting the terrorist organization Hamas … I will not remain silent in the face of incitement against Israel and against the Jewish people,” Israel Katz wrote on X.
On Monday, the 18-year-old Spanish right winger was spotted waving a Palestinian flag during an open-top bus parade as the team celebrated winning the Spanish 2025/2026 title.
Yamal, who is already widely regarded as one of the best footballers in the world, held the flag as the team bus toured across Barcelona. He also posted pictures of himself holding it on his Instagram account.
Lashing out at the player, Katz further wrote on his X handle: “Whoever supports this type of message should ask themselves: Does he consider this humanitarian? Is this moral? … I expect a great and respected club like Barcelona to distance itself from these statements and make it unequivocally clear that there is no place for incitement or for support of terrorism.”
Katz’s comments have sparked outrage, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez leading the criticism.
“Those who consider waving the flag of a State to be “inciting hatred” have either lost their judgment or been blinded by their own ignominy.” The prime minister wrote on his X.com account, adding: “Lamine has only expressed the solidarity with Palestine felt by millions of Spaniards. Another reason to be proud of him.”
Barcelona’s German coach Hansi Flick told a press conference when questioned about the incident: “This I don’t normally like … I spoke with him. I said if he wants this, it is his decision. He is old enough.”
Manchester City’s coach Pep Guardiola, who regularly voices his support for Palestine, condemning the genocide and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, was asked in a press conference ahead of their Crystal Palace match about the incident involving Yamal. He said that a football player is a role model followed by millions, and his opinion is influential, so he should express it when necessary. Guardiola further praised Yamal for his stance, saying it was something he should be proud of.
When asked about Yamal, Lebanese football fan Wassim Moussa told Arab News: “The Barca star … is a human being who’s free to express his opinion in supporting the oppressed. If you look at Real Madrid’s goalie Thibaut Courtois, who is married to an Israeli woman, he expresses his support to the Israelis freely. I don’t see anything controversial in Yamal waving the Palestinian flag.”
Barcelona-based freelance photographer Moe Shami told the newspaper: “As a Barca fan, I do not see anything wrong with what he did. Yamal is a footballer with millions of supporters and has all the liberty to express himself in whichever way he deems suitable. There have been other sportsmen who expressed their support to the Israelis!”
There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, which has also spread to sports, with protests seen across soccer, cycling and basketball.
