As Hansi Flick must have suspected, Lamine Yamal’s gesture of waving the Palestinian flag in Barça’s parade has caused a stir. The Israeli Defense Minister accused him of “inciting against Israel and fostering hatred,” and President Sánchez, always intuitive in the art of storytelling, came to the rescue: “Another reason to be proud of him.”
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The parade was understandable, but I found it excessive in its duration, disproportionate in the harm caused to urban mobility – which so cheerfully abounds in Barcelona – and dangerous for the players themselves in these politically correct times, when any triviality ignites fires.
Would we defend Yamal’s freedom if he had waved an Israeli flag?
Yamal displayed a large Palestinian flag and the same government that reproached him in July for hiring dwarf artists at his birthday party now elevates him to a “source of pride.” I’m not sure it’s very wise for a government to comment on what an 18-year-old footballer does or doesn’t do…
To the point. Lamine Yamal is an adult, participated in a mass event of FC Barcelona, and freely expressed his feelings in a country where freedom of expression prevails – especially respected when it aligns with the majority current –.
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I do not share the Israeli Defense Minister’s criticisms, which I find disproportionate and misplaced, especially coming from another country where freedom of expression exists, as evidenced by protests against the war. Lamine Yamal exercised a fundamental right, the same right he would have if he had waved the Israeli flag, the Vox flag, or the red-and-yellow flag with the bull. Or does it all depend on the color of the flag? If so, some might advocate for the English model, which prohibits political symbols in football, a criterion that explains how quickly Pep Guardiola stopped wearing a yellow ribbon on the City bench when the procés happened.
Freedom of expression has been and is the great victim of prevailing political correctness. For many, Yamal is a reference with the Palestinian flag in hand, but he would be an immature and manipulated footballer if he had waved the Israeli one. We like great principles, but on a case-by-case basis…
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