Why Celtic trading with Israeli club Maccabi Netanya is unacceptable

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The Celtic Star

·7 January 2026

Why Celtic trading with Israeli club Maccabi Netanya is unacceptable

One of the main transfer rumours that has surfaced so far this month is the rather underwhelming link with Ivorian winger Jocelin Ta Bi…

03.01.2026 Celtic v theRangers, Scottish Premiership. Michael Nicholson, Chris McKay and Brian Wilson. Photo Kenny Ramsay

There are a few reasons why this signing wouldn’t go down well with some Celtic fans and in this first article I’ll start off with the fact that by signing the player from Israeli club Maccabi Netanya, Celtic will be effectively providing funds to a club who, through the companies their chairman/owner is involved with, has been providing technology used to continue Israel’s current illegal war against the Palestinian people.

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The person I’m referring to is Ross Kestin

The person I’m referring to is Ross Kestin, who became chairman of Maccabi Netanya after his company, Aliya Capital Partners, purchased the club in 2025. In August of that same year he joined the board of XTEND, an Israeli military drone manufacturer that Aliya had invested in.

XTEND’s website claims it sold thousands of armed first-person-view drones to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in 2025 alone. XTEND has developed AI technology for improved drone targeting, which has been tested in military actions in Gaza.

Celtic support unfurl “Freedom for Palestine” banner at Pittodrie on 17 November 2012. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

The story has came to the attention of many Celtic fans who stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and they are rightly outraged by the clubs actions. Many Celtic fans follow the BDS movement – Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), is a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.

Scotland for Palestine

Scotland for Palestine, strong advocates of the BDS movement, have spoken out recently about Celtic’s interest in Ta Bi and asked how the Celtic fans feel regarding their money being invested in Israel.

Celtic supporters show their support with Palestine flags during the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Celtic at Tynecastle on October 22, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

In a statement to The National, Scotland for Palestine said: “What do Celtic fans who have consistently rallied for Palestine think about their hard-earned cash being invested towards an apartheid military occupation committing a genocide?

“The club was born out of famine and injustice and its fans stand firmly with the occupied people of Palestine – this is plain for everyone to see. Celtic Football Club has sufficient resources to seek signings elsewhere.

“Yet, its management at the height of a genocide is choosing to hand over huge amounts of cash to Maccabi Netanya, a club that has links to Israeli tech companies as well as the Israeli illegal occupation forces involved in the genocide of Palestinians.

“What message is Celtic Football Club trying to send to its fans and the rest of the world who are horrified by Israel’s relentless murderous campaign against men, women, and children?”

Green Brigade take the knee for Palestine. Photo The Green Brigade

Strong words indeed from Scotland for Palestine but they are correct in what they are saying. At this moment in time Celtic shouldn’t be doing business with teams in Israel who through their chairman/owner have such close ties with what Amnesty International and many other leading experts have called a genocide against the Palestinian people. The thing is our board is so far detached from the club’s fan base it either doesn’t see this or it simply doesn’t care.

This isn’t the first time the Celtic board has put blinkers on

This isn’t the first time the Celtic board has put blinkers on when it comes to working with companies it shouldn’t be having any business dealings with. Back in 2020 Celtic signed a partnership deal with Chinese company Dahua Technology, who at the time were being questioned for their involvement in human rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region.

The Celtic board didn’t care then. I doubt they will care now.

Celtic fans displaying Palestine flags at Celtic Park. Photo The Green Brigade

Football has nothing to do with politics?

People will say that this is football and has nothing to do with politics. That’s absolutely fine if that’s the way you see life but to many Celtic is much more than a football club. It’s a community. It’s a stance. It’s a club that was born of Irish immigrants to help the poor.

It’s always been known for its charitable work. Surely human injustice is part of this? Do we stand back as the club looks away and sells its soul like so many other big corporations? Or do we make our voice heard that we won’t be part of it?

Celtic fans are lauded world wide for our social and humanitarian stances

As the Scotland for Palestine statement says, our fans are lauded world wide for our social and humanitarian stances. The Green Brigade have been a huge component of this over the years. Many believe that their current indefinite ban is more to do with their voices on issues like Palestine than it is to do with the issues brought up by the board. Many in our support dislike the Green Brigade.

I tell you one thing, the Green Brigade have a hell of a lot more in common with the origins of our football club than the current charlatans running the club have. I will always side with the people who stand up for injustices worldwide over a bunch of corporate non entities.

Celtic fan waves a giant Palestine flag at Celtic Park. Photo The Green Brigade

Many Celtic fans will disagree with me on this, and throw the ‘club for all’ motto at me. This isn’t about that. The player involved in this transfer in fact has nothing to do with it at all, it’s who we would be signing him from.

Would you be happy knowing that the money you put into the club is being sent to Israel, to a club with direct links to technology used to continue the murder of innocent people? I certainly wouldn’t. I love Celtic but I certainly don’t agree with many of the actions taken by those in charge.

In my next article today on The Celtic Star I’m going to look at the player involved from a purely footballing perspective, and explain why I think Celtic would be mad to part with £2.5m for him.

Conall McGinty

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