Barcelona star Lamine Yamal accused of anti-semitism after post-El Clasico stunt

Israel has accused Barcelona star Lamine Yamal of "fomenting hatred" against Jewish people on social media following his decision to raise the Palestinian flag during a recent victory parade.

The 18-year-old winger displayed the flag from an open-top bus on Monday as the Catalan giants celebrated their second consecutive La Liga title.

The teenage sensation made headlines globally after hoisting a large Palestinian flag, though he refrained from making any explicit public statements at the time.

Three days after the event, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a sharp condemnation, accusing the winger of inciting and fomenting hatred against both Israel and Jewish people.

“Lamine Yamal chose to incite and foment hatred against Israel while our soldiers are fighting the terrorist organisation Hamas, an organisation that massacred, raped, burned, and murdered Jewish children, women, and elderly on October 7,” Katz stated on social media.

The minister questioned the morality of the message and called for the club to distance itself from the incident, making it clear that there is no place for incitement or support for terrorism.

While other players such as Robert Lewandowski also utilised the parade to wave political symbols like the pro-independence Catalan flag, Yamal’s actions have drawn significant internal scrutiny from his coach.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed his own reservations about the stunt, noting that “normally, I don’t like these things” regarding political displays during sporting celebrations.

Flick revealed that he had spoken to the teenager before the parade took place, explaining that he preferred the squad's focus to remain on the league victory rather than any external political statements.

Despite his personal disagreement, the manager acknowledged that Yamal was old enough to make his own choices and live with the consequences of his public actions.