German Soccer Team Honors Israeli Fan and Hamas Hostage With Flag Outside Home Stadium
A flag drawing awareness to Hamas hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin displayed outside the home stadium of Werder Bremen on July 4, 2024. Photo: Screenshot
The professional German soccer team Werder Bremen paid tribute on Thursday to its American-Israeli fan Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and remains in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
Outside of its home stadium, the Weserstadion, the team displayed a large green flag that featured a picture of 23-year-old Goldberg-Polin and the message “Let Hersh Free.” Werder Bremen shared a photo of the flag on X/Twitter and added in German in the caption: “The message is clear, and today everyone can see it outside the Weserstadion – let Hersh free.”
Klare Botschaft und ab heute auch sichtbar am Weserstadion: Let Hersh free!#Werder | #letthemfree | @BringHershHome pic.twitter.com/UKITiFaS51
— SV Werder Bremen (@werderbremen) July 4, 2024
Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists during their attack at the Supernova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7. His hand was also severed by a grenade thrown by Hamas into a bomb shelter where he and others were hiding. Hamas posted a video in April where he was seen missing his left arm.
Since Oct. 7, Werder Bremen and its fans have expressed solidarity with Israeli victims of the terrorist attack and have repeatedly echoed calls for the return of all Hamas hostages. A day after the attacks in Israel, Werder Bremen said, “[Our] thoughts are with the victims of the terrorist attacks in Israel. May we see peace in the Middle East.” Not long after, Werder Bremen displayed on a large screen at one of its games photos of the Israeli hostages.
Shortly after Oct. 7, fans of the German soccer team held up a large green banner at game that said in Hebrew “Always together” and heart-shaped signs that featured names of the hostages. They raised others banners drawing awareness to the hostages that said messages like “Bring Back Our Friends,” “Bring Back All Hostages,” “Never Again Is Right Now!” and “We Love You. Stay Strong. Survive.” On International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January, fans held a banner that said, “We Won’t Stop Until They’re All Back.” They additionally launched a fundraising campaign for the families of the hostages.
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