A moment involving Yamal during the La Liga championship parade on 11/5 has become a point of political contention.
As the team bus moved through Barcelona's streets, the Spanish forward asked a fan to throw him a Palestinian flag. Yamal then held and waved the flag before the crowd, also posting the image on his Instagram account, which has over 42 million followers.
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Lamine Yamal posted a photo holding the Palestinian flag on Instagram. |
The Barcelona star's action drew strong criticism from Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz. In a message posted in Spanish on social media platform X, Katz accused Yamal of "inciting anti-Israel sentiment and promoting hatred" amid the Israeli military's clashes with Hamas.
"Yamal chose to incite against Israel and promote hatred, while our soldiers are fighting the terrorist organization Hamas – the force that massacred, raped, burned alive, and murdered children, women, and elderly Jews on 7/10/2023", Katz wrote.
The Israeli official also questioned: "Those who support such messages should ask themselves: is this humane? Is it moral?". He affirmed he would not remain silent in the face of what he described as "incitement against Israel and Jews".
During a press conference before the match against Alaves in La Liga's 36th round, Coach Hansi Flick was also asked about the incident. The German coach stated that he had spoken directly with Yamal and believed his player was mature enough to make his own decisions. "I don't always like it. If Yamal wants to do that, it's a personal decision. He's old enough", Flick expressed.
The 61-year-old coach emphasized that his priority was the celebrations with fans after two consecutive successful seasons with the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga titles. "We play football to bring them joy. That's the most important thing", he added.
The incident unfolded as global controversy over the conflict in the Gaza Strip continues to spread into sports and culture, with numerous protests appearing in football, cycling, and basketball. Spain was also among the countries that boycotted this year's Eurovision – the annual international music competition among European nations organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) – in protest of Israel's participation.
For over two years, the Palestinian flag has been raised by protesters and pro-Palestinian activists in hundreds of cities worldwide. Many view this as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who have suffered heavy losses in the conflict with Israel since the 7/10/2023 attack carried out by Hamas forces.
According to Al Jazeera, Israel has killed over 72,740 Palestinians since October 2023, including 854 people reportedly killed during a "ceasefire" phase signed in October 2025.
While the frequency of pro-Palestinian protests has decreased since the "ceasefire" took effect, activists continue to wave the Palestinian flag at many large gatherings, such as sporting events and public celebrations.
Hong Duy (according to Marca, ESPN)
