A photograph taken by Palestinian photographer Jihad al-Sharafi in the Gaza Strip has become the center of a major political and cultural controversy in France after it was abruptly removed from an exhibition at the Deauville sports photography festival and replaced with an image of cyclists.

The incident has raised questions about freedom of the press and photography, as well as political pressure linked to the war on Gaza.

The photo, taken by al-Sharafi, an Associated Press photographer, documents a soccer match between young Palestinian men on a rehabilitated field in Gaza City, surrounded on all sides by buildings destroyed during the war.

The image was scheduled to remain on display as part of the festival until September 6, as one of the photographs documenting the relationship between sport and daily life. But it suddenly disappeared from its place and was replaced by a photo of cyclists, without any clear initial explanation for the change.

According to the French newspaper L’Humanité, the removal came after pressure from pro-Israel supporters. Deauville’s municipality justified the decision by saying it wanted to avoid controversy and avoid hurting the feelings of any side. The municipality acknowledged receiving requests concerning the photo, but did not clearly identify the parties behind them.

Source:Websites