(DailyVantage.com) – A former pro-soccer player was accused of making a Nazi salute at a pro-Israel rally. Following the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, pro-Israel and pro-Palestine rallies have been held all over the world.
The woman who supposedly made the antisemitic gesture was Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel, a 25-year-old from Brazil who used to play for the Angel City Football Club in Los Angeles, California. Van Ginkel last played for the club in 2022.
On November 6th, Van Ginkel allegedly went viral in a video clip posted by a user named StopAntisemitism on the social media platform X. According to their website, Stop Antisemitism is a US-based, non-partisan organization established in 2018 that exposes and fights antisemitism. Visitors to the website can donate money and report instances of antisemitism.
The viral clip supposedly shows Van Ginkel in a car with a man behind the wheel. The former soccer player appears to be chewing something while also raising her right hand in a Nazi salute. Then, the woman turns and looks out the window at something behind the car. In the background, voices chant “shame on you” and “going viral.” It is unclear what caused the confrontation.
On Twitter, Stop Antisemitism asked viewers to help identify the people in the vehicle. They also said the confrontation transpired on November 5th at a pro-Israel rally in Beverly Hills, California, and that the woman yelled “Heil Hitler” and “then proceeded to throw up a Nazi salute.” So far, the video has received over 5.6 million views.
With assistance from people on X (Twitter), StopAntisemitism came to believe the man behind the wheel was Van Ginkel’s boyfriend and a pro soccer player named Samim Haydari. He played on United City FC’s semi-pro soccer team in 2022.
The Angel City Football Club said their organization does not condone Van Ginkel’s antisemitic salute. They also said Van Ginkel has not been “affiliated with the club since November 2022.”
On Monday, Van Ginkel and Haydari released an apology video. Haydari regretted their childish actions and said they “cannot change the past.” Haydari also said they reacted with hate and planned to do “better” and “learn a lesson” from the situation. Van Ginkel remained silent throughout the clip.
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