Page 3 | Gary Lineker - foot in mouth again

onegrumpyoldwoman · 2024-05-16T06:39:51+00:00

I wish this guy would stick to football or selling crisps Most recently, he gave an interview to Medhi Hassan ([[https://webelieveinisrael.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4f205ffabc02c1048c024eebe&id=c59e28cde9&e=da30c7163e https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/12/lineker-appears-to-call-oct-7-attacks-the-hamas-thing/]] ) where he appeared to minimise the October 7th Hamas attacks as “the Hamas thing”, whilst falsely stating of the war in Gaza “I can’t think of anything that I’ve seen worse in my lifetime”. This statement is absurd hyperbole given that Mr Lineker was born in 1960 and has hence lived through major wars such as Vietnam, Iraq, Iran-Iraq, the Soviet and Western interventions in Afghanistan, and the Syrian Civil War, all of which have cost hundreds of thousands, in some cases millions, of lives. I do not believe that it is compatible with Mr Lineker’s role as a presenter on Match of the Day, and hence an employee of our national public broadcaster, ^which is supposed to be politically impartial^, for him to take such outspoken stances.

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 16:31

Stupidity and hatred often are ridiculous.

Original poster

onegrumpyoldwoman · 19/05/2024 16:20

@Scirocco Sorry, missed your explanation, must have been posting at the same time.

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Original poster

onegrumpyoldwoman · 19/05/2024 16:17

25milesfromhome · 19/05/2024 13:51

But how did they know all these things about you if they just came to yell abuse and spread hate at you apropos of nothing? Were you eating watermelon at the time? Sorry, I'm genuinely not being goady, I don't really understand the context.
Regardless, they sound like absolute horrors who were there (wherever that was) for the wrong reasons and no-one should be subject to abuse.

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I don't understand this either.🤔

Were you (Sirocco) sitting at a pavement cafe, minding your own business (eating watermelon) when some people just rocked up and started hurling abuse at you?

Where they outraged because it was an Israeli watermelon? How so?

Please can we have more context because the whole thing sounds ridiculous.

I agree no-one should be subject to verbal abuse.

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Limesodaagain · 19/05/2024 15:18

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 14:08

These are examples of things that have been said to me, in a range of settings from efforts at interfaith work, pro-ceasefire events, efforts to raise support for humanitarian efforts, and (on one occasion) letting my DC eat watermelon in public (oh, the horror).

I'm visibly Muslim and fairly pale skinned, so get everything from "race traitor" accusations through to assumptions that I'm Palestinian (I'm not) and therefore a Hamas supporter (which I'm also not).

One of the joys of having tried to do interfaith work and engage with people is that you get to encounter these sorts of things.

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Unfortunately there are people ( on both sides) who are using this conflict as an excuse to be offensive and aggressive to any group they have a personal, unjust animus against.

AhNowTed · 19/05/2024 14:36

@Scirocco

Sure I was accused of Israel hate on this forum only yesterday!

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 14:08

25milesfromhome · 19/05/2024 13:51

But how did they know all these things about you if they just came to yell abuse and spread hate at you apropos of nothing? Were you eating watermelon at the time? Sorry, I'm genuinely not being goady, I don't really understand the context.
Regardless, they sound like absolute horrors who were there (wherever that was) for the wrong reasons and no-one should be subject to abuse.

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These are examples of things that have been said to me, in a range of settings from efforts at interfaith work, pro-ceasefire events, efforts to raise support for humanitarian efforts, and (on one occasion) letting my DC eat watermelon in public (oh, the horror).

I'm visibly Muslim and fairly pale skinned, so get everything from "race traitor" accusations through to assumptions that I'm Palestinian (I'm not) and therefore a Hamas supporter (which I'm also not).

One of the joys of having tried to do interfaith work and engage with people is that you get to encounter these sorts of things.

25milesfromhome · 19/05/2024 13:51

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 13:40

By anti-ceasefire, anti-Palestinian, Anti-Muslim and generally rather rude people. That's some of the more palatable stuff I've heard.

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But how did they know all these things about you if they just came to yell abuse and spread hate at you apropos of nothing? Were you eating watermelon at the time? Sorry, I'm genuinely not being goady, I don't really understand the context.
Regardless, they sound like absolute horrors who were there (wherever that was) for the wrong reasons and no-one should be subject to abuse.

MissyB1 · 19/05/2024 13:40

onegrumpyoldwoman · 19/05/2024 13:32

Then I would choose your associates better.

It seems you have been mixing with some very silly people.

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Actually there are people like that on mumsnet.

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 13:40

25milesfromhome · 19/05/2024 13:33

By whom? People who've told you that sound like absolute loons who have an extremely poor grasp of what antisemitism is and they should be avoided.

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By anti-ceasefire, anti-Palestinian, Anti-Muslim and generally rather rude people. That's some of the more palatable stuff I've heard.

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 13:38

onegrumpyoldwoman · 19/05/2024 13:32

Then I would choose your associates better.

It seems you have been mixing with some very silly people.

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These would be people coming to yell abuse and spread hate at me, rather than people I'd choose to spend time with.

25milesfromhome · 19/05/2024 13:33

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 13:07

I've previously been told it's antisemitic to do things like criticise Netanyahu, criticise torture, condemn the deaths of my friends and colleagues, and even eat watermelon.

By whom? People who've told you that sound like absolute loons who have an extremely poor grasp of what antisemitism is and they should be avoided.

Original poster

onegrumpyoldwoman · 19/05/2024 13:32

Scirocco · 19/05/2024 13:07

I've previously been told it's antisemitic to do things like criticise Netanyahu, criticise torture, condemn the deaths of my friends and colleagues, and even eat watermelon.

Then I would choose your associates better.

It seems you have been mixing with some very silly people.

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Scirocco · 19/05/2024 13:07

I've previously been told it's antisemitic to do things like criticise Netanyahu, criticise torture, condemn the deaths of my friends and colleagues, and even eat watermelon.

CurlewKate · 19/05/2024 12:56

@YaMuvva "Just don’t say pro Hamas or antisemitic things"

Great help. Thank you.

SallyWD · 19/05/2024 12:54

GrammarTeacher · 16/05/2024 07:59

But it is awful. People preventing aid getting through and gleefully destroying it, is awful. The huge amount of hatred is shocking. It is one of the worst things I've seen and I'm 45. I don't like rank ordering awful events and so I won't. There is something deeply wrong when children are encouraged to destroy food intended for starving civilians and when aid workers are attacked and killed.

Agree with you. My friend is an aid worker there and the things she's described to me are utterly horrific. I'm sick of people here, living their comfortable lives, just minimising all this horror.
And yes the Hamas attack was shocking beyond belief but the innocent civilians of Palestine don't deserve to pay the price.

Auvergne63 · 19/05/2024 12:49

YaMuvva · 19/05/2024 12:29

Just don’t say pro Hamas or antisemitic things

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You mean what you perceive to be pro Hamas or antisemitic? There is a difference between the latter and actually supporting Hamas (criminal offence) and being antisemitic (criminal offence), both of which you need to report to the police.

YaMuvva · 19/05/2024 12:29

CurlewKate · 19/05/2024 10:08

Please will someone produce a form of words which will make it possible to express horror at the civilian deaths in Gaza without being thought pro Hamas or anti Semitic?

Just don’t say pro Hamas or antisemitic things

CurlewKate · 19/05/2024 10:08

Please will someone produce a form of words which will make it possible to express horror at the civilian deaths in Gaza without being thought pro Hamas or anti Semitic?

Original poster

onegrumpyoldwoman · 18/05/2024 20:12

@AhNowTed maybe you think the IDF is there on behalf of the Palestinians!

The extent to which Israel has been forced to maintain a military presence in the territories has been governed by the Palestinians’ unwillingness to end violence against Israel.

(As if the women and children killed by suicide bombers in buses, pizzerias, and shopping malls were responsible for the plight of the Palestinians?)

The only way to resolve the dispute over the territories is for the Palestinians to negotiate a final settlement. Until now, the intransigence of the Palestinian Authority’s leadership has prevented the resumption of talks, which offer the only path to an agreement to ensure a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

See my response at 19.20 regarding the Palestinians refusal to negotiate.

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Original poster

onegrumpyoldwoman · 18/05/2024 19:55

@AhNowTed 60% of the West Bank is controlled by Israel.

So what about the other 40% ?

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AhNowTed · 18/05/2024 19:48

@onegrumpyoldwoman

"The Palestinian Authority has control of the West Bank and could stop any lawbreaking if they wanted."

I'm not sure if this is wilful ignorance or genuine naivety.

60% of the West Bank is controlled by Israel.

Or maybe you think the IDF is there on behalf of the Palestinians!

And the illegal settlements comprising 670,000 Israelis don't exist!

NerdWhoEatsMedlar · 18/05/2024 19:26

On 6th October the ratio of dead/murdered people was 1:23

Wanna guess if that ratio was
Israeli:Palestinian
Palestinian: Israeli

Israel has a democratically elected government.
Palestine has the result of a coup.

Original poster

onegrumpyoldwoman · 18/05/2024 19:20

@AhNowTed Meanwhile the Israeli population supports the aims of a far right fascist government bent on the Palestinians destruction, and watches silently while their homes are bulldozed and land stolen.

This is nonsense.

The Palestinian Authority has control of the West Bank and could stop any lawbreaking if they wanted.

Also please note:

In 2005, Israel evacuated all Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in Northern Samaria, but terror attacks continued.

In the previous round of talks, conducted in 2008 under then-prime minister Ehud Olmert, Israel offered to withdraw from roughly 94 percent of the West Bank, and compensate the Palestinians with the equivalent of 6 percent through a “land swap” that would allow Israel to keep major settlements.
Olmert also proposed international administration of Jerusalem’s holy sites. The Palestinians did not accept the offer.

In 2010, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu froze settlement construction for ten months, and the Palestinians refused to negotiate until the period was nearly over. After agreeing to talk, they walked out when Netanyahu ended the freeze and had still not returned to negotiations to date.

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Louloulouenna · 18/05/2024 19:09

I certainly don’t think Israel is entirely inncocent and have never met anyone, Jewish or not, who does.

AhNowTed · 18/05/2024 19:05

Louloulouenna · 18/05/2024 18:30

Unlike in Gaza where all the evidence suggests that the majority of the population supports the aims of groups such as Hamas.

The majority of Palestinians have lived their entire lives under a brutal dehumanising Israeli apartheid.

The same apartheid regime that propped up Hamas in Gaza in order to maintain the status quo, i.e. to undermine the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and scupper any chance of a Palestinian state.

But yeah, it's all their fault.

Meanwhile the Israeli population supports the aims of a far right fascist government bent on the Palestinians destruction, and watches silently while their homes are bulldozed and land stolen.

But yeah, they're totally innocent.