French minister accuses Karim Benzema of having links to Muslim Brotherhood

Former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has been accused by a member of the French government of having links to the controversial ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ in the aftermath of his public support for Palestine.

Gérald Darmanin, France’s Minister of the Interior, claimed in a television interview that Benzema “has notorious links with the Muslim Brotherhood.” The transnational Islamist organisation has been designated as a terrorist group in Egypt and some neighbouring countries, but not in France.

A few days ago Benzema, currently playing for Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, posted a message of support in relation to the ongoing Israel-Palestine coNFLict.

“All our prayers for the inhabitants of Gaza who are once again victims of these unjust bombings that do not spare women and children,” Benzema’s message read. The Frenchman, a devout Muslim, has faced a surprising amount of criticism for those comments.

Benzema criticised by Dudu Aouate

The Israel-Palestine situation is an endlessly-nuanced and deeply-entrenched coNFLict which has continued to bubble for more than half a century. Benzema’s words of compassion may seem relatively innocuous but his message has brought criticism from many corners.

Darmanin is not the only public figure to respond to Benzema’s post. Former Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate has also spoken publicly against Benzema. The Aouate, a former professional with Spanish sides Mallorca and Deportivo de la Coruña, used the same obscene phrase to insult Benzema in five different languages.

Aouate’s post on X, formerly known as Twitter, has since been restricted for potentially violating the site’s rules against hateful conduct.

Unlike with many previous global tragedies, in this instance the soccer world has not managed to gather around a single cause to help support the victims. The controversial and contentious nature of the coNFLict has seen some players, such like Benzema, face criticism for seemingly innocuous remarks.