In a World Cup 2023 match that transcended the boundaries of sports, the Israel-Palestine conflict cast a shadow over cricket as the Israeli government's social media posts fueled controversy surrounding Pakistan's loss to India.
The incident came to light on Sunday, leaving the global cricket community divided and reflecting the deep-seated tensions between the two nations.
The official Twitter account of the Israeli government, previously known as Twitter, praised India's victory over Pakistan and expressed disappointment over Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's show of support for Palestinians in Gaza.
The posts added a new layer to the complex relationship between India and Pakistan, as well as the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"We are happy that #India emerged victorious in the #INDvsPAK match at #CWC23," the Israeli government's tweet read. The message also carried a somewhat controversial statement, expressing relief that Pakistan could not attribute its success to the "terrorists of Hamas."
Furthermore, the Israeli government acknowledged the support shown by Indian fans, particularly highlighting a spectator who held a placard featuring the images of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The placard conveyed the message: "India stands with Israel in the war against terrorism."
Rizwan dedicates win to Gaza
Rizwan faced a backlash in India after he dedicated his team’s recent ICC Cricket World Cup win against Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza, who have faced relentless Israeli bombardment over the last few days.
Rizwan was adjudged the player of the match after he scored a century as Pakistan completed the tournament’s highest-ever successful run chase to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Hyderabad, India.
“This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza,” he wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.
