The recent escalation in Israeli violence in Jerusalem and Gaza has prompted athletes from around the world to show their support for Palestine.
One of those athletes is Anwar El Ghazi who has been released after Mainz decided to terminate his contract as he keeps supporting Palestine in social media posts.
El Ghazi responded to the termination with an official statement.
Stand for what’s right even if it means standing alone. The loss of my livelihood is nothing when compared to the hell being unleashed on the innocent, vulnerable in Gaza. Stop the killing
El Ghazi was suspended but then re-included in the squad on Tuesday, as he mentioned again that he “doesn’t regret showing support for Palestine”.
Another affected athlete has been Algerian defender Youssef Attal who has been suspended from the Nice team after publishing a social media post in relation to the conflict.
Despite the backlash, athletes continue to show their support for Palestine. Their actions swaying and dividing opinions.