German football team say they won't sign Israeli player after fan outrage
German football team Fortuna Dusseldorf announced on Tuesday that they decided against signing Israeli international Shon Weissman after fans protested his social media posts, which advocated for the wiping out of Gaza.
The second division side said in a short statement on X that they had opted not to sign the 29-year-old and that he would be staying at the Spanish second division side Granada CF.
The decision came a day after Fortuna fans launched an online petition asking the club's hierarchy not to sign the striker due to his past "controversial comments".
"Weissman's comments, which have been widely perceived as discriminatory and disrespectful, are in stark contrast to the principles Fortuna Dusseldorf stands for and strives to promote," the petition said.
"Signing him could damage the credibility of the club and its fan base, which embraces diversity and community.
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"There are many talented players who better reflect the spirit and ethics of our club."
In October 2023, Weissman is reported to have shared and liked posts calling for Gaza to be "wiped off the map".
He also reportedly posted: "What's the logical reason that 200-ton bombs haven't been dropped on Gaza yet?". In another post, when responding to a photo of two detained Palestinian men, he allegedly wrote: "Why the hell aren't they being shot in the head?"
According to the Italian newspaper Il Mattino, a local prosecutor in Granada had received a hate crimes complaint over the posts.
Weissman's agent later said the now-deleted posts and likes were not made by the player himself but by a social media manager who had access to his accounts.
BDS is succeeding
Mahmoud Nawajaa, a human rights defender and national coordinator for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Committee (BDS), said Fortuna's decision showed the "unprecedented progress" anti-war activists were making in their campaign against Israel.
"At a time when international law and the justice system are collapsing, [ordinary] people have proven they are on the right side of history," he said.
"People around the world are rightly using their rights to put pressure on sporting teams, organisations, cultural institutions and universities to refuse to sign contracts with those who advocate for a settler colonial and genocidal project.
"This pressure is increasing. Unprecedented progress is being made," he added.
The BDS movement is a nonviolent initiative that seeks to challenge Israel's occupation and abuses of Palestinian human rights through economic, cultural and academic boycotts similar to the successful boycott campaigns against apartheid South Africa.
According to German media reports, Fortuna were considering signing Weissman for around €500,000 ($576,000), taking advantage of a drop in his market value due to a lacklustre stint in the Segunda division last season, where he bagged just two league goals.
In the season before, whilst on loan at US Salernitana 1919, Weissman failed to help the Italian club avoid relegation from the top flight to Serie B.
Since Israel went to war on Gaza, several Israeli athletes, including Olympians, have expressed support for the Israeli military's assault, with some signing messages on bombs prior to them being fired against besieged Palestinians.
According to the Palestinian Football Association, at least 400 footballers have been killed and nearly 300 sports facilities, including stadiums, gyms and club buildings, have been destroyed.
Middle East Eye reached out to Fortuna Dusseldorf and Granada CF for comment but did not receive a response by time of publication.
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