Mesut Özil posts picture of Israel painted on
Amidst the dangerous political escalation between Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran, Mesut Özil posts an image on Instagram. The image features Israel marked with a red X, with 'Palestine' written below. The message is clear.
Mesut Özil is causing a stir on social media once again. On Instagram, he posts a story featuring a map of Israel with its name crossed out in thick red. 'Palestine' is written below. Özil's message is clear: he wishes for the state of Israel to cease to exist. This is not the first time the 35-year-old has taken a clear stance.
Since October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Özil has repeatedly shown solidarity with the Palestinians. A few weeks ago, he shared an image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal in orange clothing due to his aggressive stance in the conflict with Hamas and actions in the Gaza Strip.
Maccabi Germany, the Jewish sports association, reacted to Özil's latest post, calling on the German Football Association to distance itself. "Of course, we hope that the DFB also expresses itself on this matter and publicly distances itself from Özil," said Maccabi President Alon Meyer. He described Özil's post as "anti-Israeli" and accused him of being a follower of a closed antisemitic worldview.
Tensions in the region have escalated sharply in recent days. Initially, a rocket fired by Hezbollah landed on an Israeli football pitch on the Golan Heights, killing several children and teenagers. Israel retaliated by killing two high-ranking leaders of the Hamas and Hezbollah terror militias.
Özil also causes a stir at the Euros
At the European Football Championship, Özil also took a political stance, aligning himself clearly with the right and against the West. On Instagram, he shared an image of the controversial 'wolf salute' by Turkish national player Merih Demiral. The image was visible in one of Özil's Instagram stories hours before the team's quarter-final match against the Netherlands. It was accompanied by an encouraging message for Turkey. Demiral was suspended by UEFA for two games for the gesture.
The 26-year-old Demiral had formed the hand gesture and symbol of the 'Grey Wolves' after scoring his second goal against Austria in the round of 16. The 'Grey Wolves' are followers of the right-wing extremist 'Ülkücü Movement', which is monitored by the German domestic intelligence agency.
For the first game after the big controversy, Özil, along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, traveled to Berlin. During the game, thousands of wolf salutes were shown. Özil had already caused a stir last year with a photo showing a tattoo of three crescents and a howling wolf on his chest.
Mesut Özil's controversial actions continue to make headlines. Following the escalating 'War with Israel' between Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran, Özil shares an Instagram post with a map of Israel, crossed out, and 'Palestine' written below, indicating his support for the Palestinian cause.
Maccabi Germany, a Jewish sports association, has urged the German Football Association to distance itself from Özil, labeling his post as "anti-Israeli" and aligning him with a closed antisemitic worldview.
