In the middle of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Israeli MMA fighter Haim Gozali sparked controversy by posting a picture on his X account writing:
“Kanye West Flying to Gaza Haim Gozali.”
The message posted on December 25 was written on an IDF missile intended for use in the war.
In the post’s caption, Gozali also implied that Kanye West harbors negative feelings toward the Jewish community, stating:
“Kanye West you don’t like us Jewish. So, we don’t like you too.”
On December 26, Kanye West responded to the situation by apologizing on his personal Instagram. He also expressed regret for any unintended harm caused by his words or actions.
The apology, written in Hebrew, conveyed his commitment to self-improvement, greater sensitivity, and understanding in the future. West acknowledged the importance of forgiveness and pledged to make amends while promoting unity.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any ‘unintended outburst’ caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity,” read the translated version of the rapper’s IG post in Hebrew.
It’s worth noting that Kanye West has faced accusations of spreading hate against Jews in the past. The rapper has a history of controversial statements on the subject. Here are two instances:
In October 2022, rapper Kanye West stirred controversy by expressing a preference for his children to learn about Hanukkah over Kwanzaa, citing Hanukkah’s potential to teach ‘financial engineering’ in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Subsequently, rapper Kanye West faced controversy when fellow mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs contacted him about unveiling a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week.
West posted a screenshot of their text exchange on Instagram, alleging that Diddy was influenced by Jewish individuals, perpetuating a harmful anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
Consequently, West’s Instagram account was suspended.
This incident followed West’s earlier criticism for wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt during Paris Fashion Week and featuring the slogan in his YZY fashion show.
The Anti-Defamation League categorized the phrase as “hate speech,” associating it with white supremacists who adopted it in 2015 as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
After the suspension of his Instagram account, West took to Twitter, sharing a photo with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and questioning his removal from Instagram.
In a subsequent tweet, West made controversial remarks, promising to go “death con 3” on Jewish people, later claiming he could not be anti-Semitic because black people are also considered Jewish.
This tweet was eventually removed, and West’s account was locked.
Haim Gozali is best known for his tenure in Bellator.
He holds a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie and served in the Israel Defense Forces.
Gozali began his MMA career in 1998, later joining Bellator in 2016. He also organized MMA events in Israel and produced several Bellator events in the country.
Notable among these was Bellator 234, where Gozali won his last fight in 2019, leading to controversy over its legitimacy.
After a brief retirement, Gozali returned to combat sports in 2020, transitioning to bare-knuckle boxing. In his debut at BKFC: KnuckleMania in 2021, he secured a victory against John McAllister.
Gozali continued his success in bare-knuckle boxing, recently defeating Bogdan Kotlovyanov in March 2023.
Throughout his career, Gozali accumulated a professional MMA record of 15 wins and 6 losses, with 14 wins by submission.
He also holds championships in Real Fight Promotion and The Dice Team.
In bare-knuckle boxing, he boasts a perfect record of 2 wins.
