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Gary Lineker, a sports reporter and the highest-paid on-air announcer at the BBC, is one of the organization’s staff — there are so many at the broadcaster who share his views — who has long displayed his anti-Israel animus, and now his sharing of an antisemitic post has led to his forced resignation at the BBC. More on the reasons for his departure can be found here: “Gary Lineker to leave BBC after sharing antisemitic content to social media – report,” Jerusalem Post, May
BBC’s Gary Lineker is reported to be leaving the BBC and to announce his resignation on Monday after receiving backlash for sharing antisemitic content, The Guardian reported.
Last week, Lineker received backlash after he reposted a pro-Palestinian video on social media that criticized Zionism and included a rat emoji, and later apologized for the post.
Rats have historically antisemitic connotations that were popularized in Germany under the Nazi regime.
The English sports broadcaster claimed in a public statement that he would “never knowingly share anything antisemitic” and that he had deleted the post “as soon as I became aware of the issue.”
This resignation comes after numerous campaigns and complaints to the BBC from the Jewish community.
Not only Jews, but many other people offended by this kind of antisemitism no doubt complained.
Here is one representative comment about Lineker on X:
…The post comes shortly after Lineker, who is also the former England soccer captain, defended his right to express his opinions on issues such as Gaza in an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan.
During the interview, Lineker said: “I know where I stand on this. I’m sorry. It’s more important than the BBC. What’s going on there is the mass murder of thousands of children [and] is probably something that we should have a little opinion on.”
There is no “mass murder” of children in Gaza. The IDF makes tremendous efforts to minimize civilian casualties, as Hamas makes similar efforts to increase their number, by hiding its men and weapons in civilian buildings, including but not limited to schools, mosques, hospitals, and apartment buildings. The IDF has dropped millions of leaflets, sent millions of text messages, and made millions of robocalls, all in order to war civilians away from sites and buildings about to be targeted. The result is that of the 53,000 dead in Gaza to date, 22,000 were Hamas members. In Gaza, prior to the war, 800 people died each month from diseases and accidents. There is no reason to assume that number has changed, which means that in the 20 months of war, 16,000 people died of non-combat-related causes. So the total number of civilians in Gaza who died as a result of the war can be calculated as follows: 53,000-22,000 is 31,000, from which we must further deduct 16,000 deaths unrelated to combat, leaving a total of 15,000. 40% of the population of Gaza consist of people under the age of 15. Of the 15,000 civilian deaths in Gaza attributable to the war, then, 6,000 are children. Out of a population of just under a million children, this is far less than 1%. Is that “mass murder”? Does Gary Lineker not understand what the IDF has done to minimize those civilian deaths, with its leaflets, text messaging, and robocalls? Is he aware that British Colonel Richard Kemp, who served in a half-dozen wars and commanded British troops in Afghanistan, has called the IDF “the most moral army in the world” because of its effort to warn civilians? Does he know that Professor John Spencer of West Point concluded from his study of the Gaza war that Israel has “implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history—above and beyond what international law requires”?
It tells us a lot about the BBC personnel that people were walking out from BBC Sport to protest his temporary suspension for making the preposterous and outrageous charge that the British government — then in the hands of the Conservative Party — was acting like the Nazis in the 1930s. These people, too, are part of the problem, and evidence of why the BBC needs to clean house, not just by letting go of Gary Lineker, but by firing all those who support him for his anti-Israel and, let’s face it, antisemitic views.
When he talks about “mass murder of thousands of children,” it’s the clearest case of projection since the Roman catapult. He wants to mass murder Jewish children.
Lineker reminds me of a spineless concentration camp doctor circa 1942.
During an interview not so long ago, Mr Lineker whinged about suffering from ‘racism’. Why?
Because he claims his skin is a slightly darker shade of white and at school he was taunted about it.
How weird is that?
Very weird. Sounds like he is desperate to be black.
The article was a waste of time. Anti-jew people do not have the intellect or capacities or interest to do mathematics. They also are not interested because they only wish to have a new “crime” to scream aloft. If Israel does not move these moslems out of Gaza, every thing that happens after is their own fault. This is the same movie that has played continually since 1949. Fix it or stop whining.
The Brits have fallen and fallen big! so have the Irish and the Scots. They are filled with Jew-haters and it starts at the top.
On the subject of Israel, the UK’s political establishment, media and bureaucracies run from liberal hypocrisies through to psychopathic hatred.
The majority of the UK population dislikes these elders and betters. Like the rest of Western Europe, the UK public Eurovision vote gave the win to Israel. Yes, it’s only a pop song contest, but a good chance for the public to get round the usual censorship. It costs a few dollars to vote, so this shows a determination beyond the level of passive opinion.
What is strange is that most Jews seem to fall on the side of internationalism. Not to forget many Catholics, especially those who reside in the Vatican, are even worse.
Notice the number with dual citizenships. Even for a country they should hold dear, Israel, it seems there are quite a few who cannot make a choice of nation. Of course, I feel the same way about the United States. I cannot imagine being a citizen of another country. Along with the fact that most other countries do not allow citizens. You may be called a citizen but you are a subject and never forget it. Like houses – one citizenship should be enough
Soccer/football has the same love of internationalism. Most of the fans are too stupid to notice but the hierarchy is Left oriented. not far behind their beloved now disgraced leader of the WEF. You will have nothing but football and you will be happy.
Not quite sure what I am trying to say other than internationalism is always a dead end and the strange bedfellows one has to share when one goes to their summer camp are not very lovable.
As Daniel Greenfield has pointed out in the past, there’s something amiss with the concept of antisemitism.
In the present instance, voicing support for a fictitious nation invented only for the violent destruction of Israel? – that’s fine (supposedly).
Voicing support for the terrorist organization that invaded Israel to rape women while mutilating them before finally murdering them? – not a dealbreaker.
Inciting violence against Israel and Jews by pretending that there is a genocide against “Palestinians”? – that’s just humanitarianism.
Using rat imagery when writing about Israel or Jews? – That’s antisemitism – you’re fired!
The concept of antisemitism seems to have unlatched itself from the material world. Antisemitic metaphors are bad because they might lead to another mass murder of Jews, the thinking goes. But when Hamas comes along, and actually carries out that mass murder … hey, look, a hurtful metaphor. (And it isn’t metaphors that force Hamas to kill.)
I always knew that were nazis at the BBC!
if the bbc cleaned house there would be no one working there and the place would be empty . like all state run and left wing millionaire media are all cess pits of marxists and wokery . the same in america and australia . every now and then their masks slip but we have known all along . they will move on and get a plum job somewhere else and still cling to the lies they believe , evidence isnt in their vocabulary .
Here’s something Mr Lineker has in common with Mr Biden :-
Like president Biden, Mr Lineker pooed his pants. During a match in, I think, 1990, he pooed his pants on the pitch.