Gary Lineker - foot in mouth again

[onegrumpyoldwoman]

I wish this guy would stick to football or selling crisps

Most recently, he gave an interview to Medhi Hassan (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.

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.

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

Great help. Thank you.

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.

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.

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

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

Actually there are people like that on mumsnet.

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.

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.

@Scirocco

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

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.

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.

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

Stupidity and hatred often are ridiculous.

He's not making these comments when he's working for the BBC. He's entitled to have opinions on current affairs.

Well as I am not "anti Israel" I probably shouldn't answer but anyway

1. yes
2. Hard to say, I would like to think not but having heard some Israeli and/or Jewish people describe Palestinians in frankly awful terms I am not completely sure.

And before anyone says "But Palestinians" - yes the actions and attitudes of Hamas are pretty disgusting as well.

I would like to think not but having heard some Israeli and/or Jewish people describe Palestinians in frankly awful terms

Where do you hear this?

Couple more questions then..
1 Do you think it would be possible for Israel to attack Hamas as effectively with significantly fewer civilian casualties than now? If so how?
2 To what extent do you place the blame for the suffering of ordinary Palestinians on the Israel Govt vs. on Hamas? e.g. 90/10, 50/50?

@Underthinker "1 Do you think it would be possible for Israel to attack Hamas as effectively with significantly fewer civilian casualties than now? If so how?
2 To what extent do you place the blame for the suffering of ordinary Palestinians on the Israel Govt vs. on Hamas? e.g. 90/10, 50/50"

1. a) Yes.

b) I have no idea. My areas of expertise do not include anti terrorism or military tactics.

2.Once again-I don't know how to make that sort of calculation. And I don't think it's helpful to try. I certainly do not place any blame of "ordinary Palestinians" and they seem to be bearing the brunt of the conflict.

@CurlewKate How do you define an "ordinary palestinian"?

The last survey I saw said that 70% of Palestinians back Hamas' attack on Israel

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/poll-over-70-palestinians-still-maintain-hamas-correct-to-commit-oct-7-atrocities/

How about this:

"I wish that Hamas and its leaders and operatives leave Gaza and free all remaining hostages (even if most have already been killed) in order to stop the killing and suffering of ordinary and innocent civilians - as per the original Egyptian peace proposal.

If (as some would argue) Israel continued killing innocent and unarmed civilians after the hostages (alive and dead) and after Hamas had left then this would completely remove any support from their western allies most notably the United States."

I would be happy to accept
"I wish that Hamas and its leaders and operatives free all remaining hostages (even if most have already been killed) in order to stop the killing and suffering of ordinary and innocent civilians - as per the original Egyptian peace proposal. “
In terms of Hamas “leaving “ Gaza. That’s up to the Palestinians. ( I hope they do kick Hamas out and I hope the Israelis get rid of Netanyahu)

Edited to add - I would have liked if the Pro Palestine marches could have included the sentiments above.

@Limesodaagain

"In terms of Hamas “leaving “ Gaza. That’s up to the Palestinians. ( I hope they do kick Hamas out and I hope the Israelis get rid of Netanyahu)"

I would agree with you on both Hamas and Netanyahu. The problem is how?

Netanyahu can be removed in a democratic election. But there is no democracy in Gaza, Hamas rule by dictatorship and fear. Dictatorships tend to be removed by force either by internal parties or external parties.

@onegrumpyoldwoman The questioner used the term "ordinary Palestinian". I assume she meant civilians.