Campaign Against Antisemitism has called for Gary Lineker to be sacked by the BBC after he shared a pro-Palestine video on social media that was accompanied by a rat emoji
The Campaign Against Antisemitism group has urged the BBC to sack Match of the Day host Gary Lineker after he circulated a pro-Palestine video on social media. The video showed a controversial cartoon rat emoji alongside a video of a speaker decrying Israel.
BBC mainstay Lineker, 64, is embroiled in a fresh controversy after being accused of supporting the symbol, which is associated with antisemitic tropes. The video in question showed Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buddu criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Lineker swiftly deleted the post from his timeline on Tuesday, reports the Express. Some pro-Israel campaigners have expressed shock at Lineker sharing the post and for his active stance on the Gaza conflict.
He also shared footage on his Instagram Story that is understood to have originated from the Palestine Lobby group. Many have suggested celebrities and influential voices shouldn’t comment on such matters.
But Lineker has been adamant to use his following and platform to show his support for Palestine. “Nothing to see here,” read a post by Campaign Against Antisemitism on X.
“Just Gary Lineker’s Instagram account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji.
“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?”
Barrister Simon Myerson KC, head of the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, posed a question regarding Lineker’s conduct in response to the video being posted. He asked if the former England and Tottenham striker would “have the guts to explain this to Emily Damari?”
Damari, who received a hearty reception during her visit to the UK at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, was freed from Hamas captivity after being held for more than 15 months. She was abducted from her home in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “The BBC has allowed the situation with Gary Lineker to continue for far too long. 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 poised to step down from his duties hosting Match of the Day at the end of this season. However, his contract with the broadcaster runs for another year and he’ll continue to anchor their FA Cup coverage before one last swansong for the 2026 World Cup.
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