Spain defends soccer star Lamine Yamal over Israel’s criticism of Palestinian flag display

JTA – Spain’s government is defending soccer star Lamine Yamal after Israel’s defence minister accused him of inciting “hatred” against Israel by waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations following a title win. 

Yamal, 18, whose father is Moroccan, is a phenomenon on the FC Barcelona team. He waved the Palestinian flag while riding in an open-top bus during FC Barcelona’s celebrations after winning Spain’s top professional soccer league title, La Liga, on 11 May. 

Following the parade in Barcelona, which drew roughly 750 000 supporters, Yamal posted a photo of himself waving the flag on his Instagram account, which has more than 42 million followers. 

The display prompted sharp criticism from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who tweeted that Yamal had chosen to “incite against Israel and foster hatred while our soldiers are fighting the terrorist organisation Hamas”. 

Katz called on FC Barcelona to distance itself from Yamal’s actions and “make it unequivocally clear that there is no place for incitement or for support of terrorism”, according to a translation of his remarks by Politico. 

Following the display, Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, told reporters that it was something “I don’t normally like”, adding that he had spoken to Yamal and that it was “his decision”, according to ESPN. 

But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez forcefully rejected Katz’s criticism in a post on X, writing that those who considered waving a national flag to be “inciting hatred” had either “lost their minds or have been blinded by their own ignominy”. 

“Lamine has merely expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel,” Sánchez said, according to Politico. “Yet another reason to be proud of him.” 

Spain is one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel, with the country officially recognising Palestinian statehood in May 2024 and permanently withdrawing its ambassador to Israel in March amid the Iran war. 

Spain was also one of five countries to boycott the Eurovision song competition over Israel’s participation. 

Beyond Spain, tensions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have also surfaced across European soccer, with England’s Aston Villa Football Club prohibiting Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a match last year amid security concerns. Officials said that decision was spurred by sweeping violence that unfolded around a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match in Amsterdam in 2024. 

Last month, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, told JTA that the United States will bar individuals who are accused of fostering antisemitism in their home countries from attending the coming World Cup.