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Soccer / Anti-Gaza pitch protest in Spain elicits fine, but wins Barca coach's support By Uzi Dann Freddy Kanoute has enjoyed a swell of support this week after being fined 3,000 euros on Friday for displaying a shirt in support of the Palestinians last Wednesday in the Copa del Rey. Most notably, Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola told sports Web site Goal.com that he found the fine against Kanoute, the star striker of Spanish club Sevilla, "excessive." The shirt read "Palestine" in five different languages. Though it did not mention the conflict in Gaza, it was meant to display support, according to Kanoute, the French-born Muslim who plays for the Mali national team. Advertisement The Spanish Competition Committee found Kanoute guilty of violating its code under an article prohibiting political expressions on the pitch. "I did something small for something I think is right," responded Kanoute. Raphael Schultz, Israel's ambassador to Spain, seemed less perturbed. While he found the gesture to be a violation of professionalism, he told local station Radio Marca on Thursday, "I saw the match and the T-shirt bore nothing more than the name of Palestine. It was not an incitement against Israel. I don't think it extolled violence," Schultz said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   From the bunker Hamas says Gaza won't break, victory over Israel is near. Banned Israel bans Arab parties from running in upcoming elections.

Read & React Bradley Burston / Gaza War Diary IV - Can people die of ambivalence? Responses: 42 Amos Harel with IDF in Gaza / 'Let's finish what we started' Responses: 76 Ari Shavit: World cannot, must not condemn our war on Hamas Responses: 108 U.S. arms shipment to Israel canceled due to Gaza conflict Responses: 15 Yoel Marcus: It's not Israel's fault it has a strong, well-run army Responses: 67 More Headlines 02:11 Olmert ignoring calls from Barak, Livni for immediate Gaza truce 00:58 Egypt tells Hamas it must commit to one year cease-fire in Gaza 21:51 U.S.: Olmert never asked us to abstain from UN vote on Gaza truce 23:56 Settler shoots, kills Palestinian who allegedly hurled rocks at him 20:44 IDF Chief: Hamas bombers posing as Israeli troops in Gaza 21:32 Shin Bet: Some 565 rockets, 200 mortar shells fired at Israel since start of Gaza op 20:31 Clinton: U.S. must address Israel security, Palestinian aspirations 23:58 Turkish PM denies anti-Semitism, says 'Jewish-backed media' spread false info on Gaza 22:09 IDF officer critically hurt in Gaza; 6 other soldiers also wounded 20:12 IDF bombs some 30 smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza 00:44 Israel's Waltz with Bashir, on 1982 Lebanon War, gets Oscar nod 19:48 Embedded with the IDF in Gaza / 'Let's finish what we started' 23:57 UN human rights body: Gaza violence has 'devastating' effect on children 17:58 WATCH: IDF says Hamas has professionalized use of human shields in Gaza 23:58 Israel denies Syria claim it left traces of uranium at nuclear site bombed by IAF 21:34 Palestinian reporters charged with leaking censored info on Gaza to Iran TV 17:59 A week after expelling Israeli officials over Gaza op, Venezuela looks to repair ties 22:25 Italy's Jews: Pope Benedict negating 50 years of interfaith progress 23:57 UN Chief Ban, en route to Mideast: Hamas, Israel must stop fighting now 21:02 Hamas' take on the Gaza war? Watch it on YouTube 11:17 ANALYSIS / World cannot, must not condemn our war on Hamas Previous Editions Select Day 13 jan 12 jan 11 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec

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