The head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, declared himself this Thursday (14) “proud” of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for raising a Palestinian flag in celebration of the Spanish Championship title, which earned the attacker accusations of “incitement to hatred” by Israel.
“Those who consider that flying a state’s flag is ‘inciting hatred’ have either lost their mind or been blinded by their own ignominy,” wrote Sánchez on the social network X.
“Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of us Spaniards feel. All the more reason to be proud of him,” added the president of Spain’s government.
The player raised a Palestinian flag from the top of the Barcelona bus last Monday (11), during the celebrations for winning the Spanish Championship title, on Sunday (10), against Real Madrid.
Sánchez reacted to the post on social media by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who, in the morning, had accused Yamal of inciting hatred.
“As Minister of Defense of the State of Israel, I will not remain silent in the face of incitement against Israel and the Jewish people,” Katz also declared on X.
“I hope that a big and respected club like Barcelona will disassociate itself from these statements and make it clear, unequivocally, that there is no place for incitement or support for terrorism,” he concluded.
Lamine Yamal’s gesture resonated in Gaza, where artists in a refugee camp painted a mural on the rubble that dots the territory, showing Yamal raising a Palestinian flag.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick had criticized his player’s gesture on Tuesday (12), stating that “these are things he normally doesn’t like.”
“I told him that if he wants to do this, it’s his decision, he’s already of legal age,” added Flick, when asked about the gesture.
Relations between Spain and Israel have deteriorated since the start of the Israeli intervention in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel recalled its ambassador for consultations after Madrid recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024, while Spain also withdrew its main representative in Tel Aviv in March.
