The big and the presenter of England Football Gary Lineker is again at the center of the controversy, drawing the backlash within the BBC.
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The legend of BBB’s BBB football and presenter, Gary Lineker, “apologized without reservation” for sharing a video criticizing Zionism and included an illustration of a rat. The video features the Canadian Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu, who says that Zionism is a system that favors a group and ignores the rights of the Palestinians.
The original poster of the video also included a rat emoji, which was criticized as anti -Semitic propaganda of the Nazi era.
Why has Gary Lineker apologized?
Lineker has since deleted the Instagram Story post and offered excuses. “On Instagram, I republished the equipment that I have learned since content of offensive references. I very much regret these references,” he said in a statement.
“I would never knowingly share anything anti -Semitic. It goes against everything I think. The position was deleted as soon as I became aware of the problem.
“While I firmly believe in the importance of talking about humanitarian issues, including the tragedy that takes place in Gaza, I also know that we do.
“I take full responsibility for this error. This image does not reflect my opinions. It was an error on my part for which I apologize without reservation. ”
However, the damage is already done and pro-Israeli groups now require that BCC returned it. The campaign against anti -Semitism said that it would file an official complaint at the BBC.
The British Jews Council said that the BBC “should ask it (Lineker) to leave now rather than allow it to dictate its own conditions.”
A report in the Telegraph also indicates that some members of BBC staff are surprised that Lineker has not yet been dismissed.
Interestingly, Linkeker’s apology occurred a few hours after the Director General of the BBC, Tim Davie, said that the employees of the broadcasters were to join the company’s social media guidelines.
“The reputation of the BBC is owned by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us,” said Davie.
“And I think we absolutely need people to be the examples of the values of the BBC and follow our social media policies, as simple too.”
Lineker’s past between conflicts with BBC
Remember that Gary Lineker was briefly withdrawn from the BBC in March 2023 following a controversy over his comments criticizing the government’s asylum policy, which raised questions about impartiality.
In February, he joined around 500 eminent people in the signing of an open letter calling the BBC to restore the Gaza documentary: how to survive a war zone on the BBC IPLAYER.
While Lineker revealed in November that he would resign as a host of the match of the day, he confirmed that he would continue in front of the BBC coverage of the World Cup and FA Cup.
