© Ap / Luca Bruno
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has donated $1.5 million to feed the fasting people in the besieged Gaza Strip, Palestine, against the backdrop of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Juventus star striker has never hid the fact that he is pro-Palestine, expressing his support for Palestinians several times in the past.
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has donated $1.5 million to feed the fasting people in the besieged Gaza Strip, Palestine, against the backdrop of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Twitter was quick to react to the news.
As some users lauded the striker's humanitarian efforts, they made mention of other celebrities that, in their opinion, fell short in this respect.
The Juventus star striker has never hid the fact that he is pro-Palestine, expressing his support for Palestinians several times in the past.
In 2012 the 28-year-old star gave away his Golden Boot Award to the Real Madrid foundation, which subsequently auctioned it off to raise money for building schools in Palestine.
In 2013, he refused to swipe t-shirts with an Israeli player in a display of support for Palestinian rights.
Although he did shake hands, he excused himself by explaining that he could not wear a shirt with that country's flag, press reported.
The incident occurred at the end of the match between Portugal and Israel for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
A 5-year-old boy Ahmad Daubasha - sole survivor of a Palestinian family attacked by Israeli settlers, was received by Ronaldo in 2016 at the Real Madrid training center, where he photographed himself with the boy, giving him a specially-dedicated t-shirt.
The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli land, air and sea blockade since June 2007, greatly impacting living standards, levels of unemployment and increasing poverty.
Palestinians have held weekly rallies along the Gaza border to protest the siege on the enclave and demand the right for refugees to return to their homes they fled during the 1948 creation of Israel.
Pro-Palestinian celebrities range from longtime activists to musicians to younger stars, calling for boycotts of artistic and scientific gatherings, divestment from Israeli businesses, etc.
The Portuguese star is known as one of the most involved in humanitarian work around the world.
Reader Comments
I don't know how 'rich' he might be, but him giving that (and thereby increasing awareness of the state of Palestinians), is likely certain to reduce the value / amount of his next contract.
Likewise, any advertising contracts, (which I would expect to be typically of shorter terms than athletes' contracts with their teams), will be reduced in value by thrice the percentage damage to his contract with his team.
Why? You know the answer.*
R.C.
* >95% of media revenues are generated/owned by avowed zionist (or, at a minimum) self-acknowledged Jews, who will ensure that his act of 'Christian'* charity will cause him suffering.
** As in WWJD.
RC
2 non-white managers across all 4 of England's top divisions and AS is their biggest problem!