Overview
- Lamine Yamal, who waved a large Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s title parade Monday, later shared photos of the moment on Instagram as an estimated 750,000 fans lined the streets.
- Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, on Thursday accused the 18-year-old of inciting hate and urged FC Barcelona to distance itself from the gesture.
- Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, responded later Thursday by calling the act an expression of solidarity with Palestine shared by many Spaniards and said he was proud of the player.
- FC Barcelona has issued no public distancing statement, and manager Hansi Flick said Tuesday he did not like the gesture but accepted it as Yamal’s personal decision.
- The dispute tracks with strained Spain–Israel relations since Madrid recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and with political protests spreading into sport, with Yamal set to draw more attention as he prepares for next month’s World Cup.