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.

Not sure what issue you take with a celebrity condemning a horrific conflict.

So what if you think there has been 'worse conflicts' in his lifetime? Does that mean what's going on in Gaza is just fine in your book?

There is nothing going on in Gaza that isn’t endemic to and hasn’t happened in every single war, ever.

I don't fully agree with this (and not quite sure how you can state it so decisively ) I think the one thing that even people who support Israel's campaign in Gaza cannot reconcile or tolerate is the difficulty in getting humanitarian aid through and the blocks Israel has put up to slow distribution down. That has caused immense suffering and death which is entirely preventable and which most people cannot support.

@Dulra In how many other conflicts does the combatant (who didn’t start it) deliver humanitarian aid to their opposition?

People have run out of things to say to defend Israel so now they just pick and pick on anyone that speaks up against them. You are boycotting wrong, protesting wrong, posting about it wrong etc. It's yawn inducing at this stage. When everyone who wastes their time picking at how other people are choosing to speak up spends their time leading by example instead of just criticising then maybe it'll be worth listening to. Until then you just look like people who can't bear the thought that some people think Palestinians are worth speaking up for.

Pretty ill informed comment. You clearly don't know Israel's responsibility in this or how humanitarian aid during conflicts is managed or distributed

I can state it decisively because I am educated enough and have read enough to know that this conflict is not unique and everything that is happening in this conflict is endemic to all conflicts.

If you disagree, please give me examples of what you think is happening in this conflict that doesn’t happen in other conflicts.

You mentioned the blocking of humanitarian aid. This isn’t unique to this conflict.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/syria/report-syria/#:~:text=Denial%20of%20humanitarian%20access,earthquake%20aid%2C%20in%20Aleppo%20governorate.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/12/eastern-ukraine-humanitarian-disaster-looms-food-aid-blocked/

I don’t believe this is true. I don’t believe for a second that anyone really thinks that Palestinians aren’t worth speaking up for.

There are, however, other issues that also need to be discussed.

Like the fact that the UN has issued more resolutions against Israel, than all other member states combined - including Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan etc.

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, the only place in the Middle East where you can be a gay Muslim, living openly, is the place that has received the most human rights condemnations compared to any other country in the Middle East, or even the world.

Does that sound right to you?

Literally nobody is stopping people from speaking up about other issues but instead they prefer to spend their picking at people who have chosen to speak up for Palestinians. Thread after thread here about how people are doing it wrong, just think of all of the issues they could have highlighted but instead they chose to use their time to tell others they are doing it wrong. Why not use that time to speak about other issues instead if that is their problem?

Clearly you still want to speak up for Israel and feel that they are worth defending, good for you but the OP of this thread just wanted to poke holes in how some bloke chose to speak up for Palestinians.

The very reason we haven’t seen anything as bad in this in an actual war (rather than an actual genocide as in Rwanda), is that in no other war has the aggressor deliberately used its own citizens as sacrifices for its murderous ideology, teaching even children that to die a martyr is what their God wants.

Why is Lineker not giving his opinion on that?

@LargeAmericano agree, and a lot of people seem to want to reward this despicable behaviour by a vile terrorist organisation by awarding them victory against the only functioning democracy in the Middle East.

As a point of information-Lineker is not in the BBC news team and so is perfectly entitled to express his views. And to say that events in Gaza are the worst thing he's seen in his life time. He is simply articulating mainstream centre left thinking. Which he always does.

Clearly you still want to speak up for Israel and feel that they are worth defending, good for you…

What did I say that was “clearly” in defence of Israel?

I questioned the claims that this conflict is unique in nature and that Israel is a uniquely evil foe, and asked what is happening in this conflict that doesn’t happen and hasn’t happened in other conflicts.

So far, no one has answered.

I also mentioned the fact that UN has issued more resolutions against Israel, than all other member states combined (including Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan etc) and asked if that seemed right to people, because it seems quite concerning to me, actually.

Is Gary Lineker being used as a distraction squirrel?

So far, no one has answered

I did but you didn't agree. I still think the denial and disruption of aid distribution to an entire population (not a section) is pretty unique, particularly when that population is trapped and unable to leave.

I also mentioned the fact that UN has issued more resolutions against Israel, than all other member states combined
This has been discussed before, as far as I remember is that one of the main reasons is because they ignore the resolutions they are the leading country in doing this so resolutions get repeated.

Lineker is unusual in that, although he is very highly paid by the BBC, he could happily survive being sacked. Which leaves him free to express himself as he wishes.

I did but you didn't agree.

Well, this just isn’t true, is it?

It’s not that I didn’t agree with you, it’s that blocking aid isn’t unique to this conflict.

I provided you with evidence.

So, what exactly is it that is happening in this conflict that doesn't happen and hasn't happened in other conflicts?

You haven’t answered.

I detest the trying to shut up the opinions that you don't agree with.

Why should GL stick to football? He can do and say what likes within the law obviously.

I bet if he said stuff you agreed with you would be applauding him.

Remember we live in a country where everyone can voice their opinion. If they're chatting shit then prove it but don't even begin to try and reduce their right to stare an opinion as invalid.

So, what exactly is it that is happening in this conflict that doesn't happen and hasn't happened in other conflicts?

Blocking aid to an entire population that is unable to get out. The examples you gave were for specific areas and limited to amounts of time. I do think bringing an entire population to the brink of famine pretty unique.

You haven’t answered.
I did - I still think the denial and disruption of aid distribution to an entire population (not a section) is pretty unique, particularly when that population is trapped and unable to leave.

Maybe hes's just "anti semitic", thats the usual way to try and silence people on this subject

Taking JHBs side over GL? Nah, you lost me there.

Gary Lineker is allowed his views, what ever they are and shouldn't be denigrated for having them.

Of course he's allowed to have - and air - his views, but if he's going to refer to the October 7th pogrom as "the Hamas thing" he absolutely deserves to be held to account and criticised for that. This is just so basic. He has form for verbal blunders that cause distress, so given the size of his platform he should try and do a bit better.

Whilst Gary Lineker like everyone else is entitled to his opinion I find it bizarre that some people view him as well informed. His choice of words show his lack of understanding. People who work in education for example have to be very careful over expressing their views and are censored - Gary Lineker works for the BBC which is a public co-orporation, I am not sure whether and what he should be allowed to say publicly.

I may be mistaken, but it looks like he mentioned October 7th, "and the Hamas thing", with 'and' suggesting he was referring to them as being separate, rather than calling October 7th "the Hamas thing".

(Whatever he's referring to, that's a stupid phrase to use, though)

but if he's going to refer to the October 7th pogrom as "the Hamas thing" he absolutely deserves to be held to account and criticised for that.

Agree