Gary Lineker - he really had to go and a warning t against virtue signalling

[mids2019]

Maybe Gary Lineker's departure acts as a warning for this not acquainted with history to go around randomly reposting pro Palestinian links though I suspect he is not the only one. In a way it is a sad demise to a career but an absolutely necessary one and a timely warning that a proportion of P Palestinian supporters are anti semites.

for to say I didn't like the Gaurdian 's take that the BBC were looking to sack Gary anyway and he just have them an excuse.

Some more vacuous virtue signalling by people hoping to improve their social status and ability to get laid and reproduce….

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/28/gaza-letter-genocide-zadie-smith-ian

However much some may perceive a selfish reason for their signing the letter, it normalises the ability to openly discuss concerns about genocide of Palestinians without fear of being labelled antisemitic.

It adds to the momentum of change that feels almost palpable, from what is coming from the mouths of EU politicians and Trump’s SM.

It is late - but it’s still worthwhile as Netanyahu’s government cannot be allowed to continue on its present course.

Late! Many predicted the genocide intention months ago - and then said nothing for fear they would be labelled anti-semitic. Call it what you like - the virtue signaling seems to be so important to many but the lost lives is what’s important. Removing Gaza of Palestinians is a revolting concept - it should feel that way to everyone - yet it is being defended - why?

@Sleeplessinmetalyou see the way anonymous posters on here get attacked for criticising Israel. Imagine what would happen to someone famous.

And equally the way people get attacked on here for defending Israel or even just saying they understand why they felt the need to retaliate.

If I were famous I would keep my political views to myself. The level of hatred on here for anyone with a different view has been eye opening. It must be full time job for Mumsnet moderators keeping up with all the deletions they have to do on posts on this board.

He worked for the BBC which is supposed to be neutral but GL with his grandiose superiority thought he was above this.

For every 'nice' letter written in the press by intellectual types there is a hard non shouting at Gal Gadot while filming. Maybe the authors in question should weight their letter more towards anti semtisim as much as 'genocide' (not that they are international lawyers.

Seems to me they manage to keep up just fine. I’ll save my sympathy for the Palestinian people.

They do keep up but it can't be easy. Too many personal attacks flying around when people should keep things civil.

He didn’t think he was “above this”. He thought other things are more important.

Other things are more important but the BBC as an organisation tries to appear neutral. He can speak out all he wants now he is not being paid by the BBC.

I have no sympathy for GL - paid all that money to do a dream job at the BBC and all he had to do was respect its need to be impartial and stay off SM.
It's not a human right to be able to give one's opinion on all topics at all times - plenty of people who work for 'responsible' organisations, have to be sensitive to our employer and role, when posting on SM. It's not a huge ask when you consider what he was being paid to be a face of the BBC.

Do you think he was asking for sympathy?

Pretty sure he wasn’t looking for sympathy-either yours or anyone else’s. There is no suggestion in anything I have heard or read that he regrets anything he has said or done except the emoji. He’s obviously well cushioned financially, but I admire him for taking stands on the issues that matter to him.

Being anti Semitic is, unfortunately , very important to many.
A pastime millennia long with many shades from near opaque to transparent.
And unlike the tricks that magicians play that are based in secrecy, unlike the magician, the "virtuous" anti Semite always gets caught out by stepping into transparency.
But Our Gary will be alright. He has millions and millions of fellow travellers, most not as shy as him, in public.

Now it's they who he has to keep on board.

And there is not much room for nuance, compromise, wrongspeak, from that chamber.

He's really under manners now unless he becomes Corbynian in privileged impotent White man contraryism . Just like those always at least a generation and a half older comb over having, afghan wearing, spliff holding Gurus
surrounded ny naive and nubile hippies that the 60s churned out.

Hanging onto his every word, seeking approval, setting goal post changing purity tests.

Good for him.

I'm pretty sure he'd want sympathy for losing his job
like this. And for people to agree he was right to use his platform in the way he has. But it's not a universal 'given'. Many people feel he should have stayed impartial while working for the BBC

You admire him for publicly and openly showing his feelings about Jewish people, in portraying them as rats/vermin?

He was obviously emboldened to share that post due to the global revival of antisemitism that Hamas deliberately orchestrated. He knows many agree with him and undoubtedly knew that he’d have to resign but though sharing Jew hate was worth it.

He will pop up on Al Jazeera shortly. Probably already agreed before and was the reason for that post. He will be quite at home there.

Disgusting little man.

<shrugs> I think he made a terrible mistake, apologized and withdrew as soon as was humanly possible. As far as I know, he hasn’t shown any sign of anti semitism before-he is merely commenting on what he sees on the news. Yes, I think he is brave and thoughtful for doing that. Others will disagree.

They express concerns about antisemitism and that Israeli hostages should be released?
Equal weight to antisemitism and concerns about genocide? Both are bad, and the poor couple died because of antisemitism, but are they equally so in terms of brutal hard figures…

I post the following link with trepidation as it’s harsh - but has some truth to it?

archive.ph/WKP4A

I bet he knew this might blow back at him, but preferred to speak out. He was already warned about avoiding political posts. It’s not like GL he needed the job.
Perhaps the fact he wasn’t a BBC employee as such but contracted his services to them also played a role in his decision making?

Comparisons between Gaza and the Holocaust = antisemitism.

I'm aware that is the pro-Israel party line. It's what the average person on the street thinks though. If it's on their radar.

I think he made a terrible mistake
yes we all make mistakes, some more serious than others

No way.

I've not spoken to a person IRL who doesn't support the Palestinian cause. There was a man ranting at great length at a librarian last week, when I was in the library. She did her best to distract him and then left the desk and hid in the office until he'd gone.