The chairman of Fortuna D sseldorf has defended theGermansoccerclub s decision to bow out of signing Israeli player Shon Weissman amid fan criticism over his inflammatory social media statements regarding Gaza, and claimed it s ludicrous to accuse the second-division team of antisemitism.
Despite being in advanced talks, Dsseldorf declared by Tuesday that it will not sign Weissman from the Spanish team Granada.
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Due to Weissman’s social media tweets endorsing Israel’s actions in Gaza after the Hamas-led onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, fans had protested the 29-year-old’s intended signing. On Saturday, Weissman made his Instagram account private.
The club did not provide an explanation for its decision to cancel the deal in its social media statement on Tuesday. However, Fortuna said in a statement on Friday that Weissman’s social media remarks and the way they were handled afterwards did not align with our values.
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Before Saturday’s game against Hannover, club chairman Klaus Allofs supported the decision, although he admitted that a quicker process would have been better.
It wasn’t a mistake, in my opinion. “I think it’s legitimate that we tried to sign a player,” Allofs stated. Our values also include not restricting ourselves with preconceived notions and ruling things out at the outset.
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Allofs claimed that before rejecting the signing, the club purposefully waited to speak with members of the Stuttgart Jewish community.
When asked about claims of antisemitism, Allofs responded, “To put it plainly, it’s ridiculous.”
Tens of thousands have been murdered, the majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced, large sections have been damaged, and the region is on the verge of famine as a result of Israel’s air and ground operations. When Hamas-led militants invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, they killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 more, starting the conflict.
Weissman skipped Granada’s Spanish league match against Osasuna due to security concerns shortly after the assaults. Authorities were concerned that Osasuna supporters who were incensed over Weissman’s social media posts may create a confrontational environment.
