Israeli Defense Minister Criticizes Barcelona Star Lamine Yamal for Waving Palestinian Flag

Israel's defense minister has criticized Barcelona footballer Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during the club's La Liga title victory parade on Monday. An estimated 750,000 fans lined the streets of Barcelona for the open-top bus celebration after the team secured back-to-back Spanish league titles.

The 18-year-old Yamal held up the flag during the event and later shared photos of himself waving it on his Instagram account. The minister described the act as incitement against Israel while Israeli soldiers fight Hamas, which he said massacred, raped, burned and murdered Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7.

He questioned whether such a message could be considered humanitarian or moral. The minister added that he would not remain silent in the face of incitement against Israel and the Jewish people and called on Barcelona to distance itself from the player's actions and state clearly that there is no place for incitement or support of terrorism.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick addressed the matter at a press conference on Tuesday. He said he had spoken with Yamal about the gesture. >"This I don't normally like. I spoke with him. I said if he wants this, it is his decision. He is old enough. " — Hansi Flick, May 2026 (USA Today) Yamal was born in Spain to a father of Moroccan origin and a mother from Equatorial Guinea.

He is a practicing Muslim who has spoken about his faith but has not made public comments on the Israel-Palestine conflict before the parade.

Spain's government has been highly critical of Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since the 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. Officials have condemned both the initial attacks and what they describe as genocide and illegal occupation through settlements in the West Bank.

They have called for compliance with international law to end the war and enable peaceful coexistence. The incident reflects a wider global backlash against Israel's conduct in the conflict that has extended into sports and culture. Protests have disrupted events in football, cycling and basketball.

Last year's Spanish Vuelta cycling race faced repeated interruptions over the participation of an Israeli-backed team. Spain is also among five countries boycotting this year's Eurovision Song Contest in protest at Israel's involvement.

Yamal is expected to play a prominent part for Spain at the World Cup in North America in June and July. The teenager has emerged as one of European football's brightest prospects since breaking into Barcelona's first team. His gesture during the parade has drawn international attention but no formal response from the club itself as of Thursday.

The defense minister's statement was posted on X on Thursday, three days after the parade. No immediate reply from Yamal or Barcelona has been reported. The club clinched the title over the weekend before staging the public celebration that brought large crowds onto the streets of the Catalan capital.