The German club Fortuna Düsseldorf has called off the signing of Israeli striker Shon Weissman after fans protested his past social media posts on Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, German newspaper “Bild” reported.
Weissman, 29, was expected to join the Bundesliga 2 side from Spanish club Granada FC. He had already traveled to Düsseldorf and completed his medical checks. The club posted on Tuesday, on X: “We have intensively dealt with Shon Weissman, but have finally decided to refrain from signing him.”
While the club did not cite a reason for the sudden U-turn, Bild reported that the decision came in response to fan anger over Weissman’s public comments following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel in 2023.
In those posts, Weissman called for Israel to “wipe Gaza off the map” and “drop 200 tons of bombs on it.” He also liked a comment which read: “There are no innocents (in Gaza), they don’t need to be warned.” Weissman later deleted the posts and said he was acting emotionally. “I made a mistake,” he said. “It was in the heat of the moment.”
Düsseldorf fans launched an online petition on Monday rejecting the transfer, saying Weissman’s “disrespectful and discriminatory” remarks contradicted the values of the club.
The German club and Weissman had planned to release a joint apology after the signing was made official; however, that statement never came.
Weissman, who has 33 caps with Israel, has also faced criticism in Spain. Fans at Granada protested his presence since he joined the La Liga side in January 2023.
In Germany, fan influence plays a key role in football decisions. The “50+1” rule gives club members majority control over professional teams, allowing them to push back on player signings and other executive choices.
Weissman is under contract with Granada, but his future now looks uncertain.
When Sport and Politics Intersect
The ongoing war in Palestine has become a sensitive issue in German football. In 2023, Bundesliga club Mainz fired Dutch player Anwar El Ghazi for pro-Palestinian posts.
The Moroccan international Anwar El Ghazi later won a wrongful dismissal lawsuit, but the club appealed the ruling. The Moroccan international and former Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui, now with Manchester United, also faced backlash in Germany after calling for “victory” for “our oppressed brothers in Palestine.” He later issued a public apology.
Germany maintains a strong pro-Israel stance rooted in its post-Holocaust history. But public concern has grown as the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip deepens.
Hamas militants killed 1,219 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds on October 7. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 60,933 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Humanitarian agencies warn of a looming famine among the 2.4 million people trapped in the territory.
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