Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has voiced criticism against the United States, accusing the country of reportedly favoring Israel in the ongoing conflict with Palestine.
Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), conducted a military offensive involving ground and aerial attacks in multiple Israeli border areas last month. This resulted in the tragic deaths of nearly 1,200 Israeli civilians. In response to these incursions, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched a large-scale operation against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.
Being an Islamist, Khabib Nurmagomedov has consistently declared his backing for Palestine and has articulated his views in favor of the contentious Middle Eastern state since tensions escalated last month. 'The Eagle' has consistently spoken out against what he termed as the "genocidal" retaliatory actions of the IDF through social media posts.
The UFC Hall-of-Famer recently took to Instagram Stories and claimed that Israeli forces have caused a higher death toll in under a month than the combined casualties of significant historical events such as the 9/11 attacks and Pearl Harbor. Nurmagomedov further asserted that the United States also bears responsibility for allegedly supporting Israel:
"Israel has now murdered more Palestinians in 24 hours than: 9/11, Pearl Harbour, 30 year war in north of Ireland COMBINED... And the US is blocking the rest of the world calling for a ceasefire. Depravity and evil beyond words."
Israeli MMA fighter sparks controversy for posting offensive picture with Khabib Nurmagomedov's name on missile
While Khabib Nurmagomedov has already expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people facing challenges amid the escalating violence between Hamas and Israel, UFC fighters, including Islam Makhachev, Belal Muhammad, and Khamzat Chimaev, have also extended their empathy towards Palestine.
In the midst of ongoing situations, Haim Gozali, a former Bellator competitor from Israel, recently posted an insensitive message regarding 'The Eagle,' Makhachev, and several other Muslim fighters.
Gozali shared an image on Instagram depicting a missile inscribed with the names of prominent Muslim UFC fighters such as Nurmagomedov, Khamzat Chimaev, and Belal Muhammad, accompanied by a caption that read:
"This is my message to the [rat emoji]."
Check out the post below (now deleted):
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