Tag: Gaza

German club backs out of signing Israel striker after fan backlash

Bundesliga 2 side German Club, Fortuna Duesseldorf has pulled out of signing Israel striker Shon Weissman in response to fan anger about his social media posts on the Gaza war, German tabloid Bild reported Tuesday.

Fan furore erupted online on Monday when news emerged that Weissman was on the cusp of joining Duesseldorf from Spanish side Granada FC.

On Tuesday, the German Club tweeted: “We looked into Shon Weissman intensively, but ultimately decided not to sign him”.

The club did not reveal the reasons for the decision, but Bild reported the club reacted to fan anger about social media statements from Weissman, who was already in Duesseldorf and had completed a medical.

The centre-forward, who has 33 Israel caps, made several social media posts after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that set off the Gaza war.

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Bild reported Weissman called for Israel to “wipe Gaza off the map” and to “drop 200 tons of bombs on it”.

The 29-year-old had also liked posts saying “there are no innocents (in Gaza), they don’t need to be warned”.

Weissman, who deleted the posts soon after making them, has since said he made a mistake and was acting in the heat of the moment.

Duesseldorf fans launched an online petition on Monday saying Weissman’s “disrespectful and discriminatory” comments “are in stark contrast to the principles Fortuna stand for and try to promote”.

Weissman has already been the subject of fan protests in Granada, who he joined in January 2023.

Bild reported Duesseldorf and Weissman had planned to issue an apology statement for the posts, which was to be made public after the signing was made official.

The war has previously made an impact on professional football in Germany.

German football fans are heavily involved in major decisions, from signing players to setting fixtures, due to the so-called 50+1 regulation, which requires club members to retain overall control of professional football sides.

READ: Usama Mir opens up about possibility of playing for England

Watch: Tennis star Ons Jabeur breaks down while remembering Gaza martyrs

Tunisia tennis star Ons Jabeur broke down in tears while remembering martyrs of Gaza following her victory over Marketa Vondrousova in the ongoing WTA Finals in Mexico.

It is pertinent to mention that Ons Jabeur avenged her Wimbledon 2023 final defeat to Marketa Vondrousova with a straight-sets victory. She won the match 6-4, 6-3.

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The two-time Wimbledon finalist would now take on Iga Swiatek in the tournament.

However, the 31-year-old – Tunisia’s unofficial “Minister of Happiness” – was not in an enjoying mood as she got emotional while sharing her views on the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.

 

Following the match, Ons Jabeur said she was unhappy with the prevailing crisis before breaking down into tears. She added, “It’s very tough seeing children, babies dying every day.”

“I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I’m sorry guys, it’s supposed to be about tennis, but it’s very frustrating looking at videos every day. I’m sorry – it’s not a political message, it’s just humanity. I want peace in this world and that’s it,” the athlete added.

She said she had trouble sleeping after looking at the visuals from the war in Gaza.

“I try to stay off social media as much as I can but it’s very tough. You go through horrible photos and videos every day – it doesn’t let me sleep or recover very well. The worst thing is I feel hopeless, I feel like cannot do anything,” she said.

Ons Jabeur added that she has been affected by watching babies, women and people dying every day in Palestine. Moreover, she wished to wave a magic wand and end this and have peace for everybody.

She announced that she would donate part of her earnings from the tournament to the Gaza victims.

It is pertinent to mention that Israeli bombardment has left at least 8,796 people – including 3,648 children and 2,290 women – dead.

READ: ‘Nothing’s worked’: Ben Stokes bemoans England’s woeful World Cup campaign

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