Israeli athletes playing abroad did not remain indifferent following Hamas’ murderous offensive against the country and showed their support on Monday. Israel also received wide support in the world of international sports; NBA teams Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers, posted supportive messages, as did Bayern Munich, where Israeli soccer player Daniel Peretz plays.
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Red Star Belgrade soccer coach Barak Bachar, his assistant Guy Zarfaty, and player Omri Glazer, wore black bands during the game between Red Star Belgrade and Radniski. Bachar even chose not to attend the traditional post-game interview and canceled the press conference before the game.
"On this terrible day of terror being used against civilians and soldiers in my country, I want to express my condolences to the families and pray for the well-being of the wounded,” he said.
Basketball player Yiftach Ziv, who plays for Granada in Spain, wore a headband embroidered with a Star of David during the game against Saski Baskonia. His coach, Pablo Pin, said following the game: "I’m sending hugs to Yiftach's family; it's a difficult situation. We’re here and we’ll support him." Noam Yaacov, playing for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, appeared on the field wearing shoes reading “pray for Israel.”
Israeli professional soccer player Roi Kahat scored his debut goal playing for Sumgayit in Turkey on Sunday. The 31-year-old midfielder marked the goal with the "Shema Yisrael” prayer, after which he burst into tears, and his teammates came to console him. On Sunday, Bibras Natcho (JSD Partizan) and Raz Shlomo (Luben) scored for their teams and wept.
Support for Israel was also seen in the world of international sports. In Slovenia, a rally was held in support of Israel by former basketball star Marcus Tavares from Maribor. The NBA’s runner-up champion the Miami Heat, released a message in support of Israel: “The Hamas attack on Israel sparked a day of senseless violence and hundreds of innocent lives lost."
The Dallas Mavericks also expressed their support, stating the team “stands with Israel and continue to pray for peace in our world." Later, the Washington Wizards, where Israeli athlete Deni Avdija plays, also posted a message supporting Israel. The Cleveland Cavaliers posted a message on the X platform reading: "Our hearts are with all of those who lost their lives in yesterday's horrific attack in Israel. We condemn the attacks in the strongest way and stand with Israelis around the world."
Even Bayern Munich, featuring Israeli player Daniel Peretz, conveyed support for Israel during these hard times. "There is no justification for the killing of innocent people and brutal violence against citizens. We’re concerned about our friends in Israel."