A Verbal Duel Between an Israeli Minister and the Prime Minister of Spain Over Barcelona Player Lamine Yamal Raising the Palestinian Flag

SadaNews - Relations between Israel and Spain have once again soured following the raising of the Palestinian flag by Barcelona player Lamine Yamal during celebrations of his team's Spanish League victory on Monday.

The player raised the flag while the team was on an open-top bus touring the streets of the Catalan capital amid a large crowd of approximately 750,000 fans. Photos and videos of Yamal quickly waving the flag spread on social media and were circulated by global media.

Sources close to the Spanish international player, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak, told the American newspaper "The Athletic" the day after the celebrations that raising the flag was a spontaneous act.

The sources explained that Yamal, a Muslim, has strong feelings about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has never hesitated to use his platform to express his beliefs.

Yamal has spoken in press interviews about the importance of his faith, explaining how he balances fasting during Ramadan with professional sports. In March, he sharply criticized anti-Muslim chants from Spain fans during the team's match against Egypt.

On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant published a post in Spanish on the "X" platform, accusing the 18-year-old player of "inciting hatred against Israel and Jews," calling on the club to "distance itself from its player's actions."

Gallant wrote: "Lamine Yamal chose to incite hatred against Israel while our soldiers are fighting the terrorist organization Hamas, which committed massacres, rapes, burning, and killing of Jewish children, women, and the elderly on October 7th." He added: "Everyone who supports this type of message should ask themselves: Is this act humane? Is it moral? As the Minister of Defense of the State of Israel, I will not remain silent in the face of incitement against Israel and the Jewish people, and I hope that a large and respected club like Barcelona will distance itself from these statements and clearly state that there is no place for incitement or support for terrorism."

The newspaper commented on Gallant's post, stating that he did not clarify "how Yamal incited hatred other than waving the flag."

In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez published a post on "X" on Thursday evening, asserting: "Those who consider waving the flag of a country to be incitement to hatred have either lost their sanity or have been blinded by their shame."

He added: "Lamine has only expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. This is another reason to be proud of him."

The newspaper noted that the official account of the Palestinian mission to the United Nations published a photo of the player waving the flag, and the Palestinian Football Association also posted a message of thanks to him online: "From Palestine... Thank you, Lamine Yamal."

The newspaper quoted a source from the club, requesting anonymity due to not being authorized to comment, stating that they "are aware of the criticisms directed by the Israeli government and understand the accompanying sensitivities and feelings." The club also confirmed that Yamal "did not make any political statements on behalf of the club and did not seek to send a message against any group, country, or people."

It is worth noting that relations between Spain and Israel have witnessed sharp tensions following Madrid's condemnation of the Israeli war on Gaza, which Tel Aviv rejected.