Player's Bold Move: A Declaration of Faith on the Field

During the State Cup quarter-final between Beitar Jerusalem and their rivals, Bnei Sakhnin, Shechter scored the winning goal in the 71st minute, leading his team to victory for the first time in seven years against this opponent. Once the spotlight was on him, Shechter approached a fan in the stands, asked for his kippah, and placed it on his head. 

With his right hand over his eyes, Shechter proclaimed ‘Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad’, publicly sanctifying Hashem's name. This poignant moment was captured and Shechter's image spread quickly, becoming the talk of the day. Social media reactions were divided; while some condemned the act as a provocation, others praised it as a legitimate form of prayer, regardless of its location — even on a soccer field.

Shechter explained his actions post-match, saying: "I saw a child with a kippah and thought, why not glorify Hashem's name in such a match? I felt good about it and am very happy I did it, declaring 'Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad'."

The viral debate even reached the Twitter account of Yedioth Ahronoth, which asked users for their opinions on whether this was a legitimate prayer or merely a stunt. Surprisingly, this caught the attention of Gilad Erdan, Minister for Public Security, and Aryeh Deri, Minister of the Interior and Shas chairman, who both quickly responded: "A Jewish prayer in the State of Israel is absolutely legitimate," tweeted Minister Deri.

"Provocation???", exclaimed Minister Erdan, adding: "Half the players worldwide cross themselves after a goal or kiss the cross around their necks, but here it's a provocation???"