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Turkey releases Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel after detention for displaying Gaza war message
Istanbul — A Turkish court on Monday released pending trial an Israeli soccer player who was detained after displaying a message referring to the Israel-Hamas war during a first division match. Sagiv Jehezkel, 28, displayed a bandage on his wrist reading “100 days. 07/10” next to a Star of David when he celebrated scoring a goal for Antalyaspor against Trabzonspor on Sunday.
Turkish prosecutors launched a criminal investigation over Jehezkel’s alleged “incitement to hate,” and his club tore up the player’s contract for “exhibiting behavior that goes against our country’s sensitivities.”
NTV television reported that a private plane had been sent from Israel on Monday to pick up Jehezkel and his family so that they could return home.
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Jehezkel’s detention was furiously condemned on Monday by top Israeli officials, sending relations between the two regional powers to a new low.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant slammed the “scandalous arrest” of Yehezkel as “an expression of hypocrisy” by Turkey, to which he said his nation had quickly offered aid in the wake of a devastating earthquake last year. Gallant said that with its action against the soccer player, “Turkey serves as the executive arm of Hamas.”
In testimony to the police, Jehezkel said he “did not intend to provoke anyone.”
“I am not a pro-war person,” the private DHA news agency reported him as saying.
The message on the bandage referred to the 100 days since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which was marked on Sunday. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others, 132 of whom remain in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.
In retaliation, Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 people in the Palestinian territory, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become one of the Muslim world’s harshest critics of Israel over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza.
Jehezkel displayed the Star of David – a symbol of Judaism featured on the Israeli national flag. He said he never intended to get involved in politics and was careful to respect Turkish cultural sensitivities since signing with the Mediterranean coast club in September.
“After all, there are also Israeli soldiers taken prisoner in Gaza. I am someone who believes that this 100-day period should end now. I want the war to end. That’s why I showed the sign,” he reportedly told the police. “Since the day I arrived, I have never disrespected anyone. The point I wanted to draw attention to was the end of the war.”
Antalyaspor said it had sacked Jehezkel for having “acted against the values of our country.”
“Our board will never allow behavior against the sensitivities of our country no matter if it costs championship or trophy,” the club said in a social media post.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also condemned what it said was “completely unacceptable behavior” by Jehezkel and said Antalyaspor’s decision to exclude the player from its team was “appropriate.”
In a separate incident, Istanbul’s top-flight side Basaksehir said it was launching a disciplinary investigation into another Israeli player, Eden Karzev, for reposting a social media message about the hostages reading: “Bring Them Home Now.”
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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