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German Soccer Club Defends Pulling Out of Buying Israeli Player Shon Weissman over His Gaza Posts
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY, AUG 8 – Fortuna Düsseldorf canceled Israeli player Shon Weissman's signing after fan opposition due to his social media support for Israel's Gaza actions, consulting local Jewish community first.
- On Tuesday, Fortuna Düsseldorf announced it would not sign Israeli player Shon Weissman from Spanish team Granada despite advanced negotiations.
- Opposing the transfer, fans of Fortuna Düsseldorf cited Weissman’s social media support for Israel’s Gaza actions after Oct. 7, 2023, and the club consulted Jewish community members in Düsseldorf before deciding against signing him.
- On Friday, Fortuna Düsseldorf said Weissman’s social media statements and their handling were not consistent with our values, with Chairman Klaus Allofs calling accusations `absurd`.
- Before Saturday’s Hannover match, Chairman Klaus Allofs defended the decision, acknowledging a faster process should have been preferable and stating `We tried to sign a player and I think that’s legitimate`.
- Amid the broader Israel-Gaza war, Hamas-led militants triggered the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251, with Israel’s campaign displacing Gaza’s population.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Fortuna Düsseldorf president Klaus Allofs has tried to defend the club's decision to walk away from signing Israeli midfielder Shawn Weisman. The decision came after fans were outraged by the player's controversial comments about Gaza, despite progress in transfer talks between the two clubs.
Fortuna Düsseldorf defends pulling out of buying Israeli player Shon Weissman over his Gaza posts
The chairman of Fortuna Düsseldorf has defended the German club’s decision to pull out of signing Israeli player Shon Weissman after fan backlash over his contentious social media posts about Gaza, and said it’s “absurd” to accuse the second-division team of antisemitism.
Chicago Tribune
DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The president of Fortuna Düsseldorf defended the German club’s decision after they decided not to sign the Israeli player Shon Weissman after the fans’ negative reaction to his controversial social media publications about Gaza, and claimed that it is “absurd” to accuse the second division team of anti-Semitism. Düsseldorf announced on Tuesday that he would not sign Weissman from Granada of Spain despite having been in…
Idaho Press
German soccer club defends pulling out of buying Israeli player Shon Weissman over his Gaza posts
DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The chairman of Fortuna Düsseldorf has defended the German soccer club’s decision to pull out of signing Israeli player Shon Weissman after fan backlash over his contentious social media posts about Gaza, and said it’s “absurd”…
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
NBC BostonGerman soccer club defends pulling out of Israeli player signing over Gaza posts
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Only after several days Fortuna Düsseldorf explains why the Israeli striker Shon Weissman has not been hired. Meanwhile, it sets the second season defeat against Hanover.
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- 56% of the sources lean Left
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