Arsenal’s Zinchenko removes pro-Israel Instagram post after backlash

LONDON: Arsenal’s Ukrainian defensive midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko faced backlash on Sunday after posting a pro-Israel story on his Instagram page.

In the now deleted message, Zinchenko posted a Star of David with the caption “I stand with Israel” to his 2.5 million followers.

His message came after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, which prompted a swift and brutal retaliation.

The death toll on both sides is estimated to be in the hundreds, with thousands wounded and dozens of Israeli civilians taken hostage by Hamas militants.

Zinchenko, who has been a vocal online supporter of the Ukrainian war effort against Russia, received a barrage of messages criticizing the post.

One Instagram user said: “I swear all he does is cry his eyes out because his country got invaded yet he’s supporting colonizers?”

Another branded the former Manchester City player a “hypocrite,” while an anonymous user said: “Same guy wants us to have sympathy with his beloved Ukraine. Disgusting.”

After removing the post, Zinchenko changed his Instagram account to private.