Soccer Player Ezekiel Henty Accuses Opponent of Monkey Noises

Ezekiel Henty, a player for Hapoel Rishon LeZion, has accused an opposing player, Matan Levi of Bnei Yehuda, of making monkey-like noises at him during a recent match. Henty described the incident as "inhuman" and stated that it crossed a red line, differentiating it from typical on-field insults or curses. He emphasized that while he usually disregards taunts from opposing fans as part of the game, such behavior from another player is unacceptable and akin to hate speech.

Henty reported the incident to the referee, who was reportedly close by, but claims the referee denied hearing or seeing anything and allowed the game to continue. Henty chose not to stop playing out of respect for Israeli football, despite his teammates urging him to leave the field. He stated that he would never engage in similar behavior towards another player.

After the match, Levi reportedly attempted to apologize, but Henty refused, stating it was too late and that the act was beyond a simple apology. Henty hopes the Football Association will take action to send a strong message against racism in football. He noted this was his third season in Israel and he had never encountered such behavior from a player before, though he has experienced crowd taunts.

While Henty's teammates were angered by the incident, he felt it was important not to halt the game due to one player's "stupid act." A friend from Bnei Yehuda, Eli Levi, has reportedly promised to address the situation with Matan Levi, acknowledging Henty's distress and the unprecedented nature of the event for him. Bnei Yehuda declined to comment on the matter.