During the 2023 World Cup, a cricket match between India and Pakistan was overshadowed by the Israel-Palestine conflict, as the Israeli government's social media posts sparked controversy. This incident came to light on a Sunday and left the global cricket community divided, highlighting the deep-seated tensions between the two nations.
The official Twitter account of the Israeli government, formerly known as Twitter, praised India's victory over Pakistan and expressed disappointment regarding Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's support for Palestinians in Gaza. These posts added a new dimension to the complex relationship between India and Pakistan and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Israeli government's tweet read, "We are pleased with #India's victory in the #INDvsPAK match at #CWC23." The message also contained a somewhat controversial statement, expressing relief that Pakistan couldn't attribute its success to the "Hamas terrorists."
Furthermore, the Israeli government acknowledged the support shown by Indian fans, particularly highlighting a spectator who held a placard featuring the images of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The placard conveyed the message: "India stands with Israel in the war against terrorism."
Rizwan faced a backlash in India after he dedicated his team’s recent ICC Cricket World Cup win against Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza, who have faced relentless Israeli bombardment over the last few days.
Rizwan was adjudged the player of the match after he scored a century as Pakistan completed the tournament’s highest-ever successful run chase to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Hyderabad, India.