The French Football League's disciplinary committee on Wednesday suspended Nice's Algerian international defender Youssef Atal for 7 matches due to a video he posted on his social media account.
The media said that he was suspended for 7 matches after a preliminary judicial investigation on charges of "defending terrorism" and "anti-Semitism" in light of the escalation between Israel and the Hamas movement.
Atal quickly deleted the post and apologized, but his club decided on October 18 to suspend him until further notice.
The National Ethics Council of the French Football Federation referred the matter to the League’s Disciplinary Committee.
The Disciplinary Committee explained that the penalty “takes effect as of Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at 12:00 am.”
Technically, the player will not be suspended by the league in the Clermont-Ferrand-Nice league match on Friday evening, but he remains suspended by his club.
In contact with Agence France-Presse, Nice Club confirmed that it did not want to comment immediately.
Atal, who had been with his country's national team since October 9, the period in which he posted the video clip, was summoned upon his return to Nice by club officials who spoke with him.
The club explained, "We would like to emphasize that the reputation and unity of the Nice Club depend on the behavior of all its employees, who must be compatible with the values defended by the institution," stressing its "firm commitment to the victory of peace over all other considerations."
On Monday, French prosecutors began a preliminary investigation into Atal on charges of "defending terrorism."
The French Federation resorted to its Ethics Council to consider the “calls for violence” published by the Algerian defender, according to what its president said on Sunday.
In a new post on Sunday, Atal apologized, saying, “I know that my post shocked many people, and that was not my intention, and I apologize for that,” adding that he wanted to “clarify his point of view without any ambiguity. I strongly condemn all forms of violence anywhere in the world, and I "I sympathize with all the victims."
Other football players were criticized for supporting the Palestinian people, such as former French international Karim Benzema.
The former Spanish Real Madrid top scorer, who is currently defending the colors of the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, said in his account on the “X” website, “All our prayers are for the people of Gaza, who are once again falling victim to this unjust bombing, which did not spare women or children.”
Former French player Eric Cantona, who is known for his support for the Palestinians, also published a text on his Instagram page by Lebanese-Canadian writer Najwa Thebian, at the beginning of which he wrote that “defending human rights in Palestine does not mean defending Hamas.”
The other striker of Algerian origin, Nabil Fekir, the Spanish player for Real Betis and the 2018 world champion with the French national team, had previously provided “unlimited support to the people of Palestine, who have been suffering from racial segregation and discrimination for a long time,” on Wednesday, hoping for “the return of justice and peace.”
Malaysian newspaper attacks Tel Aviv and describes its actions against the Palestinians as a “European Holocaust”
Malaysia's English-language newspaper New Straits Times issued a statement saying that the ongoing Palestinian civilian casualties due to Israeli actions amount to a "European Holocaust."
The newspaper said in an official statement: “There is no longer an ounce of humanity in the Tel Aviv regime. It is using all the means at its disposal to eliminate the Palestinians . The European Holocaust has reached the Middle East. Arrogance is your name, Tel Aviv.”
The newspaper stressed that responsibility for events in the Middle East also lies with Israel's Western allies.
She pointed out that in the United Nations meetings, the West not only ensured that the draft ceasefire resolution for humanitarian reasons would not be adopted, but that Western countries “are either sending or preparing to send aircraft carriers, weapons and soldiers to assist Israel.” "
The newspaper criticized the "servile" Western media that continues to spread " false information about the conflict ."
Israel responded by launching Operation Iron Swords and launched violent air strikes on the Gaza Strip.