Gary Lineker deletes ‘Zionism’ post amid criticism

[Pelican Press 0]

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Gary Lineker deletes ‘Zionism’ post amid criticism

Helen Bushby

Culture reporter

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Gary Lineker has deleted an

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story post he shared from the group Palestine Lobby, which said: “Zionism explained in two minutes” and featured an illustration of a rat.

A rat has historically been used as an antisemitic insult, referring to language used by Nazi Germany to characterise Jews.

Lineker’s agent told the BBC the presenter immediately deleted the post when he learned about the image’s symbolism.

The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was submitting a complaint to the BBC.

Lineker’s agent said: “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.”

In response to Lineker’s post, Campaign Against Antisemitism

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: “Nothing to see here. Just Gary Lineker’s

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account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji.”

The group

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that his “continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go”.

The BBC, when asked if it had any comment on Lineker’s now-removed post, responded by referring to

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.

Zionism refers to the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East, roughly corresponding to the historical land of Israel, and thus support for the modern state of Israel.

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said they felt “the BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms”,

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.

“He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with his egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists.”

BBC News has asked the body about its comments and if it has anything further to add.

Barrister Simon Myerson KC, who chairs the Leeds Jewish Representative Council,

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, which said: “Posting racism – bad. Deleting racist post – good. Not acknowledging error when paid enormous amount of public money pa by BBC – pathetic.”

‘I know where I stand’

Last month, Lineker

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about his views on the Middle East.

The sports presenter said: “I know where I stand on this… What’s going on there [Gaza], the mass ******* of thousands of children is probably something we should have a little opinion on.”

The

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was triggered by the ****** attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.

Israel launched a mass military offensive on Gaza in response which has killed 52,908 Palestinians, according to the ******-run health ministry.

Rajan responded to Lineker’s comment that the BBC “as a whole needs to be impartial about it”, to which Lineker replied: “Why? It needs to be factual.”

The journalist said the BBC, as a public broadcaster, needs to be “impartial about conflict”, to which Lineker replied: “It wasn’t impartial about Ukraine and Russia… I think facts are the most important thing.”

Lineker hitting headlines

Lineker was temporarily

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in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government’s new asylum policy.

Reflecting on his tweets in the interview with Rajan, Lineker said he did not regret taking the position he did, but that he would not do it again because of the “damage” it did to the BBC.

In February, Lineker made headlines when he was among 500 other high-profile figures who

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to reinstate a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.

The documentary was

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in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a ****** official.

After concerns were raised, the BBC took down the film while it carried out further due diligence. The corporation has

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and the matter is still subject to an internal investigation.

Lineker and the BBC

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that he would be stepping down from the flagship football programme, although he will still host World Cup and FA Cup coverage.

On top of his presenting roles, Lineker is also the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which make the successful The Rest is History series and its spin-offs about Politics, Football, Entertainment and Money.

The Rest is Football podcast, featuring Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, is also on BBC Sounds.

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#Gary #Lineker #deletes #Zionism #post #criticism

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