Barcelona FC players Lionel Messi (left) and Neymar da Silva Juntos, pictured at a Spanish friendly match (photo credit: AP/Manu Fernandez)
FC Barcelona soccer sensation and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Lionel Messi posted a picture of a wounded Palestinian child from the Gaza Strip on his Facebook page Thursday, with an accompanying caption appealing to end all violence affecting children in the region.
“I am terribly saddened by the images coming from the conflict between Israel and Palestine, where violence has already claimed so many young lives and to injure countless children,” Messi, who has nearly 68,000,000 Facebook followers, wrote both in English and in Arabic.
“Children did not create this conflict, but they are paying the ultimate price. This cycle of senseless violence must stop. We must reflect on the consequences of military conflicts and children must be protected,” he concluded.
The post was quickly “liked” over 25,000 times, with many comments praising Messi for taking a stance on the conflict, and others urging him to remove the post.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, walk alongside FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, Sunday, August 4, 2013 (photo credit: Avi Ohayon/GPO/Flash90)
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