Spain international Lamine Yamal has been criticized for waving a Palestinian flag during a bus parade celebrating La Liga victory.
Published May 14, 2026
Israel’s defense minister has criticized Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag at a Spanish league victory celebration, calling it an act that “incites hatred.”
Yamal, 18, waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during the team’s victory parade through Barcelona on Monday.
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According to local authorities, about 750,000 people gathered for the parade to celebrate the league championship, which was decided the day before.
“(October 7, 2023) While our soldiers are fighting Hamas, the terrorist organization that massacred, raped, and burned Jewish children, women, and the elderly, Lamine Yamal has chosen to incite hatred against Israel,” Israel Katz wrote on Thursday X.
Yamal, who is Muslim, posted a photo of himself holding the national flag on his Instagram account.
Spain’s government and a large part of its population have strongly criticized Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which killed more than 72,000 Palestinians in response to the Hamas-led 2023 Israeli offensive in the south.
There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the Gaza war, and that backlash has also spread to sports and culture. Protests were also seen at soccer, cycling and basketball.
Last year’s Vuelta in Spain was repeatedly disrupted by protesters angry at the participation of an Israeli-backed cycling team.
Spain is also one of five countries boycotting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation.
Yamal is scheduled to represent Spain at the World Cup in North America in June and July.
