Manor Solomon, the Israeli footballer, shut down an Austrian journalist who pressed him on claims that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, telling him: "I didn't hear about it and I don't care. I'm here to play football."
The exchange took place Wednesday at a press conference ahead of Israel's match against Austria Thursday. Solomon appeared alongside teammate Ran Ben Shimon when an Austrian reporter asked him to respond to a statement attributed to Austria's president accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza.
After Solomon said he hadn't heard the statement and was there to play football, the journalist insisted: "He said it." Solomon asked why he was being asked to comment and repeated that his focus was on the match.
"But why do you want me to respond to that? I'm a football player and I came to play football, that's all I'm focused on," Solomon said, restating the message from his first answer: he came to the press conference as part of match preparations and wants to focus on football.
The journalist continued the exchange, explaining his position on asking the question: "That's fine, I ask my questions and you answer what you want. I'm doing my job."
Solomon ended the conversation with a short, pointed response to the journalist's comment about his work: "By the way, you're doing a great job." That was his final word in the exchange between the two.
