Sagiv Jehezkel, 28 and capped eight times by Israel, celebrated a goal against Trabzonspor in the Turkish football league last Sunday by gesturing to a message written on a bandage on his left wrist that read "100 days. 07/10", according to local media reports. Jehezkel was arrested on Sunday. He was released today, Monday, according to the DHA-Sport news agency. The message may refer to the 100 days of the Gaza conflict, which began on 7 October. 

The fallout was swift, with the public prosecutor's office immediately opening an investigation against him on suspicion of 'inciting hatred'. Commenting on 'X', Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said: "The Antalya Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a judicial investigation against Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel on charges of public incitement to hatred for his despicable celebration in favour of the massacre committed by Israel in Gaza. According to DHA-Sports, he was released today, Monday, by a Turkish court pending trial.

Antalyaspor said they had sacked the Israeli player, accusing him of "acting against the values of our country". The club's president, Sinan Boztepe, also posted a message on 'X', saying: "The player's behaviour was against the sensitivity of Antalya, Antalyaspor and our country, and he followed it with sadness and surprise. 

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also expressed its condemnation in a statement, saying: "We condemn the completely unacceptable behaviour of footballer Sagiv Jehezkel during today's match between Antalyaspor and Trabzonspor (...) and consider Antalyaspor's decision to exclude the player from its team to be appropriate." 

Sport is a broad platform with a significant global impact for communicating messages. This is due to its huge potential audience. Incidents of this kind are common. Sports and political authorities work to prevent the use of sport as a platform for expression.

On Friday, South Africa announced that it had stripped its U19 cricket World Cup captain, David Teeger, of his captaincy over concerns that he could be the target of protests for his pro-Israel views. Teeger praised Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza at an awards ceremony for Jewish achievers last month and was cleared of any wrongdoing. Cricket South Africa (CSA) said it had been informed of likely protests over the conflict targeting tournament venues next month. It said there was a risk of "conflict or even violence". 

Other athletes have also faced sanctions for speaking out publicly about the events in Gaza. Former French basketball player Emile Gomis has resigned from his position as an ambassador for the 2024 Olympics. He did so because of the consequences of a message he posted about the Gaza conflict. Youcef Atal, a footballer, was suspended by his French league team Nice and by the French federation for his messages against Israel's actions in Gaza. He was later sentenced to eight months in prison and fined for 'apologising for terrorism'.