Spanish football star Lamine Yamal has been praised as “a very brave boy” for waving the Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s open-top bus parade following their La Liga championship win.

The 18-year-old held a large Palestine flag as the newly crowned champions celebrated with thousands of fans on Monday, hours after a 2-0 El Clasico victory over Real Madrid secured their second consecutive league title.

Yamal, who missed Sunday’s match due to injury, joined teammates in the parade. Video clips of his gesture went viral on social media, drawing widespread support from pro-Palestine activists and criticism from pro-Israel users.

“To some, it may look like a simple gesture, but here in Gaza, it reaches the heart in ways words cannot describe,” wrote Palestinian student Muhammed Akram. “Thank you, Lamine Yamal. From Gaza, you are loved more than you know.”

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said he spoke to Yamal about the incident: “If you want to do that, it’s your decision, you’re old enough.”

Yamal posted a photo with the Palestinian flag on Instagram, where he has 44.2 million followers. The post received 5.3 million likes and over 100,000 shares. Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha commented, “We love you, from Gaza.”

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement thanked Yamal for “this gesture full of humanity.” Palestinian football expert Bassil Mikdadi said Yamal highlighted the true spirit of Barcelona.

Pro-Israel users attacked Yamal, saying he “should never don the Spain shirt” and should not win the Ballon d’Or. Others praised him for standing up for the oppressed.

Yamal, a Muslim, has previously spoken out against racism and Islamophobia, condemning anti-Muslim chants during a Spain-Egypt friendly.

Source: www.aljazeera.com