BBC faces fresh calls to part company with Gary Lineker over pro-Palestine 'Nazi propaganda' post

The BBC is facing caller calls to portion institution with Gary Lineker aft helium shared a pro-Palestine video featuring a rat emoji - condemned arsenic echoing Nazi propaganda.

The ex-England captain, 64, is stepping down from presenting Match Of The Day this summertime but is inactive owed to beforehand the corporation's sum of adjacent year's World Cup.

Lineker, a vocal professional of Israel's warfare successful Gaza, earlier shared to his Instagram leafage a clip originating with the radical Palestine Lobby - though it emerged this day the video had present been deleted from his 'Stories' reel connected the site.

The cartoon representation of a rat was seen connected surface passim the video successful which Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu attacks Israel's subject action.

Disgusted users connected X shared his station connected the societal media platform, formerly known arsenic Twitter - and a erstwhile BBC Director of Television demanded enactment from the corp implicit what helium branded 'utterly grim' content.

Screenshots of Lineker's shared video were instantly flagged arsenic posts which 'may interruption X’s rules against Hateful Conduct'.

Images of rats and different vermin were regularly utilized arsenic tropes by Nazi Germany to picture Jewish people, arsenic galore of Lineker's critics contiguous person pointed out.

There has been nary remark yet from Lineker nor his representatives successful effect to today's criticism, portion BBC sources highlighted however his station had present been deleted - having remained connected his Instagram illustration leafage this morning. 

Jewish groups person been among those condemning his station and calling for the BBC to extremity immoderate relation with him, with foundation Campaign Against Antisemitism posting connected X: 'Nothing to spot here. Just Gary Lineker’s Instagram relationship sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, implicit with a rat emoji.' 

A CAA spokesperson aboriginal told MailOnline: 'Gary Lineker truly has the worst luck erstwhile it comes to campaigning for his causes without aligning himself with extremists and antisemites.

'Not lone does this video deliberately misrepresent Zionism - the content that Jews person the aforesaid close to self-determination arsenic everyone other - but it adds a rat emoji successful doing so.

'Why is it that Gary Lineker keeps sharing contented connected societal media that seems to cater to Jew-haters?  Perhaps Mr Lineker is not arsenic naive arsenic helium would similar america to believe.

'As the BBC’s highest-paid presenter and proprietor of a large media enterprise, possibly helium knows precisely what he’s doing. We volition beryllium submitting a ailment to the BBC implicit this latest post.

'However, we each cognize that, nary substance however appalling Mr Lineker’s output, the BBC volition execute each sorts of intelligence gymnastics to look the different way. When it comes to Jews, it seems that our nationalist broadcaster believes that the accustomed standards simply don’t apply.'

Danny Cohen, erstwhile Director of BBC Television, this day said: 'Gary Lineker appears to person shared contented astir the Jewish State which echoes Nazi propaganda. This is utterly grim.

'The BBC's Director General Tim Davie has a elemental question to answer: does helium tolerate the BBC's flagship presenters sharing contented that has historically been used arsenic an anti-Semitic slur?'

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: 'The BBC has allowed the concern with Gary Lineker to proceed for acold excessively long.

'He has caused large offence with this video – peculiarly with his egregious usage of a rat emoji to exemplify Zionists.

'The BBC should inquire him to permission present alternatively than allowing him to dictate his ain terms.'

MailOnline has contacted Lineker's representatives for comment, with 1 bureau moving connected his behalf saying it was for the different 1 to respond. 

There were besides requests for remark from the BBC and the radical Palestine Lobby that initially posted the video reel. 

The BBC responded by highlighting the corporation's 'Editorial Guidelines' document, posted online, covering employees' 'Personal Use of Social Media, which had been updated successful 2023 - suggesting helium had not breached the rules.

Lineker himself said successful February past twelvemonth astatine a Broadcasting Press Guild event: 'I cognize the guidelines truly well. I was partially progressive successful drafting them up.

'I cognize the guidelines wrong out. Obviously the caller guidelines really present let you overmuch much state to tweet. We're allowed opinions and different stuff.'

A backlash has been continuing contiguous against some Lineker and his BBC employers following his sharing of the video past night amid a 'Stories' compilation reel besides including extracts from sporting talks connected his The Rest Is Football podcast.

One poster wrote connected X: 'Hidden successful insta stories @GaryLineker displays precisely what helium is - implicit with the rat picture. @BBC that you take to judge his behaviour, and support him connected your payroll, is arsenic disgusting arsenic it is shameful.'

Barrister Simon Myerson KC, who chairs the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, wondered whether Lineker would 'have the guts to explicate this to Emily Damari', 1 of the hostages captured by Hamas successful their panic attacks targeting Israel connected October 7 2023.

Mr Myerson added: 'I reckon not. Big antheral down a keyboard mind.'

Former BBC writer Sean McGinty posted: 'The brag of the BBC, Two-tier Tim Davie, is sitting connected his hands again. Is helium excessively frightened oregon excessively dim to recognize what @GaryLineker is saying here?

'This antisemitic station (note the rat) connected Linekar’s Instagram cannot beryllium defended. Yet helium has demanded to enactment to contiguous the World Cup adjacent twelvemonth and the BBC person agreed.

'I emotion what the BBC erstwhile was (for each its faults) and it pains maine greatly to ticker it being vandalised to the constituent of demolition by these radical for their ain fiscal gains.'

Clint Matthews wrote: 'Nothing to spot here. Just @GaryLineker proudly showing his antisemitic roots.'

Labour Against Antisemitism activistic Emma Picken said, '@GaryLineker is an antisemite. Gross', portion different poster described the video's usage of a rat emoji arsenic 'straight up Nazi rhetoric'.

Author Alex Hearn accused the presenter of 'sharing classical Nazi representations of Jews arsenic rats', adding: 'The contented Gary Lineker is sharing is truthful toxic that conscionable explaining it tin get a "hateful conduct" statement connected X. Too utmost for X, but good for the BBC.' 

Lineker, who played for Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Barcelona, has antecedently faced contention for his governmental interventions which critics assertion are breaches of the BBC's impartiality rules.

In January past twelvemonth helium said helium received threats aft helium retweeted and aboriginal deleted a station connected societal media calling for Israel to beryllium banned from planetary sporting events, including football.

Later, speaking to quality tract Zeteo, helium said: 'There is simply a batch of dense lobbying connected radical to beryllium quiescent truthful I recognize wherefore astir radical refrain but I'm getting connected a spot now, I'm reasonably unafraid and I can't beryllium soundless astir what's happening.

'I deliberation it's conscionable so, truthful utterly atrocious and present they're talking about, "Oh, it looks similar it's happening, going into Rafah", wherever they've sent everybody down there.

'So I don't spot however you tin beryllium - it's not antisemitic to accidental that what Israel is doing is wrong. I conscionable can't spot however everybody doesn't spot it that mode now.

'But immoderate the cause, immoderate started it - we each cognize that the past of this country of the satellite goes mode earlier October 7. But it's genuinely dreadful what's happening. And I outcry connected a regular ground erstwhile I spot definite images connected societal media.'

Lineker besides told the Broadcasting Press Guild lawsuit successful February past year: 'We person been getting a batch much leeway now, which is simply a bully thing. I americium ever sensible.'

He besides claimed that helium present seldom utilized X arsenic it had go 'increasingly toxic'.

He told the gathering of journalists that radical should measurement distant from the level to prevention their intelligence health.

He said: 'It's ever been a spot of a cesspit but it has go progressively toxic and you can't person nuanced conversations connected determination anymore and debates.

'So I person benignant of stepped distant from that broadside of things.'

He besides said the BBC 'love' him being connected the societal media level to 'promote their shows'.

While his Instagram station has prompted this latest controversy, his caller contributions connected X person been dominated by promotions for episodes from his Goalhanger podcast steadfast including The Rest Is Football that helium presents.