Fortuna Düsseldorf, competing in the German Bundesliga 2, have cancelled the confirmed transfer of Israel striker, Shon Weissman, amid intense opposition from fans. He had already passed his medical and was about to agree on personal terms with the club. Meanwhile, fans started protesting over his prior social media activity. Thus leading the club to withdraw interest from the 29-year-old who is currently on loan at the Salernitana in the Italian Serie C.
“We looked into Shon Weissman intensively, but ultimately decided not to sign him,” said the club in a public statement.
Shon had 33 Caps for his National Team and had scored 6 goals. Following the attack of October 7, 2023, Shon posted, liked and reposted on Gaza. His posts included, “What is the logical reason why 200 tons of bombs have not already been dropped on Gaza?” He wrote on the picture of two detained Palestinians, “Why the hell aren’t they being shot in the head?” He called for Israel to “wipe Gaza off the map”.
These comments sparked protests among those arguing it clashed with the club’s values. Fortuna Düsseldorf fans, who launched an online petition against his signing “disrespectful and discriminatory,”. He also faced similar trouble in his Parent Club Granada, which was in the Spanish La Liga in 2023-24. In early 2024, he was reported to the authorities for incitement and provocation to violence. Following which he was loaned to the Italian third Division.
However, this is not an isolated case in 2023; Mainz terminated the contract of Dutch‑Moroccan forward Anwar El Ghazi for a post supporting Palestinians. A German labour court ruled that the dismissal was wrongful and compensated him. Former Bayern Munich and Manchester United right back Noussair Mazraoui have apologised after making several posts, including one which called for “victory” for “our oppressed brothers in Palestine”.
After almost 22 months of combat, Israel has killed almost 60,933 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Germany, which had long been atoning for its holocaust crimes, has been an Israel apologist, but the dire humanitarian situation that has been unfolding in Gaza has raised concerns in Germany as well. German fans and clubs, operating under the 50 + 1 rule, as a result, are heavily involved in all major decisions, from signing players to setting fixtures.
