BBC presenter Gary Lineker faces sack calls after sharing pro-Palestine video
BBC presenter Gary Lineker faces sack calls after sharing pro-Palestine video
Gary Lineker is facing calls to be fired from his job as Match of the Day host after he shared a pro-Palestine video that featured a controversial cartoon rat emoji
Gary Lineker is at the centre of fresh criticism after sharing a video that is said to promote an antisemitic trope
(Image: David Ramos, Getty Images )
The Campaign Against Antisemitism group has called for the BBC to dismiss Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker after he shared a pro-Palestine video on social media.
The content included a controversial cartoon rat emoji alongside footage of a speaker condemning Israel. BBC stalwart Lineker, 64, finds himself at the centre of a new row after being accused of endorsing an emblem linked with antisemitic stereotypes.
The clip featured Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buddu speaking out against Israel's activities in Gaza, which the United Nations has said has claimed more than 45,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023.
Lineker promptly removed the controversial post from his social media feed on Tuesday. Pro-Israel advocates have voiced their dismay at his decision to distribute the content and his pronounced views on the conflict in Gaza.
The former England footballer also posted a video on his Instagram Story believed to be sourced from the Palestine Lobby group, reports the Express. Lineker has been staunch in his support of Palestine despite calls to silence the pundit.
"Nothing to see here," began one message by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, responding to Lineker's since-deleted post. "Just Gary Lineker's Instagram account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji.
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"Not only does this video deliberately misrepresent Zionism - the belief that Jews have the same right to self-determination as everyone else - but it adds a rat emoji in doing so. Why is it that Gary Lineker keeps sharing content on social media that seems to cater to Jew-haters?"
Pro-Israel groups are calling for Lineker to be fired
(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images )
Lineker has yet to comment on the post since taking down the video from any of his feeds. However, his critics will consider the damage has been done considering the scale of his following, with 8.7million followers on X alone.
Simon Myerson KC, a barrister and head of the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, also questioned Lineker's actions. He queried whether the former Tottenham striker would "have the guts to explain this to Emily Damari?"
Damari, who was warmly welcomed during her UK visit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, was released from Hamas captivity after being held for more than 15 months. She was kidnapped from her home in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews has also criticised Lineker for his latest online activity. A statement from the group read: "The BBC has allowed the situation with Gary Lineker to continue for far too long.
The BBC mainstay has been a staunch supporter of Palestine
(Image: Getty )
"He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with [its] egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists. BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms."
Lineker is set to step down from his Match of the Day hosting duties at the end of this season. However, his contract with the broadcaster extends for another year.
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He'll continue to present their FA Cup coverage before what is expected to be his final farewell at the 2026 World Cup. However, critics of his views on the Palestine-Israel conflict will want to ensure he does not get the opportunity.
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