Supporters of Glasgow Rangers have urged the club to cancel any plans to sign Israeli striker Dor Turgeman, warning that such a move would be inappropriate while Israel faces accusations of genocide in Gaza.
In an open letter to Rangers CEO James Stewart and the board, a collective of “Concerned Rangers Fans” said the upcoming transfer of the Maccabi Tel Aviv forward would harm the club’s reputation and stability.
The letter read: “This is a time of transfer rumours as the squad is rebuilt. And one rumour that has been gaining momentum has been of Israeli striker Dor Turgeman. We want to share our dismay over this prospect.”
The fans said signing a player who “proudly represents Israel” would be seen as a support for Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has already killed 58,667 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Turgeman currently plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, a club known for backing the Israeli army and whose fans are notorious for racist and anti-Arab chants such as “there are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left”.
The hooligans have also been linked to disturbances after the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv football match last November.
“We don’t want our club to be associated with genocide and racism,” the supporters wrote in their letter. They also questioned whether Turgeman had served in the Israeli military, which is compulsory for most Israeli citizens.
“If Dor Turgeman did so, he may be guilty of war crimes. It is crucial that we know if he has served in the IDF and if he has, it must be immediately disqualifying,” they added.
According to Israeli daily Haaretz, nearly 70 per cent of Israeli footballers serve in the military, which has repeatedly been accused of war crimes in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
The fans warned that signing Turgeman could inflame existing sectarian tensions and embolden a “minority of bigots” within the Rangers fanbase. “We have already seen Rangers fans drafting up anti-Palestinian chants online in response, in large part because many Celtic fans are pro-Palestinian,” they said.
“The one downside to our club is the minority of bigots, and this will just feed their bigotry further. If the player was to be a success, we feel the buying market for him, as an Israeli, is likely to be limited and getting ever smaller as the crimes committed by the State become more and more obvious to the world.”
The letter concluded with a direct plea: “We therefore ask, again, that you intervene to end any plans to sign this player, for the good of the club, and so as to not mar the start of this exciting new era for us.”
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