Gary Lineker Under Fire Over Controversial ‘Nazi propaganda’ Post Featuring Rat Emoji

[Social Media]

 

Gary Lineker has come under intense scrutiny following an Instagram post that included what critics have described as anti-Semitic imagery. The BBC presenter, who is set to step down from hosting Match of the Day at the end of the Premier League season, shared a video from the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Lobby which featured a rat emoji—a symbol that has historically been used as Nazi propaganda to dehumanise Jews.

 

The video, which featured Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu criticising Israel's war in Gaza, was reportedly live on Lineker’s Instagram Story for around seven hours before being deleted. The image of the rat, a detail Lineker claims he overlooked, drew swift condemnation from Jewish organisations and political figures. A spokesman for Lineker told Telegraph Sport: “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.”

 

The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) was quick to respond, writing on X: “Nothing to see here. Just Gary Lineker’s Instagram account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji.” The CAA later added: “Not only does this video deliberately misrepresent Zionism – the belief that Jews have the same right to self-determination as everyone else – but it adds a rat emoji in doing so. Why is it that Gary Lineker keeps sharing content on social media that seems to cater to Jew-haters?”

 

Lineker’s decision to share the post, even temporarily, has reignited longstanding tensions over his political commentary and use of social media. The BBC has been urged to act swiftly and decisively. A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews stated: “The BBC has allowed the situation with Gary Lineker to continue for far too long. He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with [its] egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists. BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms.”

 

Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC television, echoed those concerns: “Gary Lineker appears to have shared content about the Jewish state which echoes Nazi propaganda. This is utterly grim. The BBC’s director general Tim Davie has a simple question to answer: does he tolerate the BBC’s flagship presenters sharing content that has historically been used as an anti-Semitic slur?”

 

Lineker, who earned £1.35 million from the BBC last year, remains a prominent figure in British broadcasting, but one who increasingly polarises public opinion. Former Labour MP Lord Austin said: “For too long Gary Lineker has been flagrantly abusing his position as the best-paid presenter at the BBC to promote his deeply biased views. Now he has gone too far, sharing material that, whether he knows it or not, is redolent of the vilest anti-Jewish racism. He cannot be allowed to stay in position, let alone be the face of World Cup coverage. The BBC must act now.”

 

Barrister Simon Myerson KC, who chairs the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, questioned whether Lineker would “have the guts to explain this to Emily Damari,” one of the hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.

 

The imagery of rats has long been used to dehumanise groups throughout history, most infamously in Nazi Germany’s anti-Semitic propaganda. Though Lineker’s spokesperson insisted the presenter did not recognise the symbol’s meaning when he reposted the video, critics argue that such ignorance does not excuse the harm caused. The debate now centres on whether Lineker’s actions, inadvertent or not, are compatible with his continued role at the BBC.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-05-15

 

 

[JonnyF]

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

The BBC presenter, who is set to step down from hosting Match of the Day at the end of the Premier League season, shared a video from the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Lobby which featured a rat emoji—a symbol that has historically been used as Nazi propaganda to dehumanise Jews.

 

Absolutely disgusting by Lineker.

 

Any normal organization would have sacked him long ago, but unforunately the BBC appear to share most of his views. 

 

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

The imagery of rats has long been used to dehumanise groups throughout history, most infamously in Nazi Germany’s anti-Semitic propaganda.

 

Yes and Lineker would have been well aware of that.  

[KhunLA]

Learn something new everyday.  So now rats, like swastikas are bad ... 

 

Can't wait till 2032 ... year of 😎

[brewsterbudgen]

Why do the Telegraph and Mail have such a thing for Gary?  Just because he's a liberal or because he played for Spurs?

[quake]

Hope he gets run over by a bus. 

[James105]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why do the Telegraph and Mail have such a thing for Gary?  Just because he's a liberal or because he played for Spurs?

 

It's because he is a black man:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/23/gary-lineker-receiving-racist-abuse-former-footballer-racism

[Nick Carter icp]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why do the Telegraph and Mail have such a thing for Gary?  Just because he's a liberal or because he played for Spurs?

 

  Its because he posted an image of a rat to denote Zionists which is similar to what Nazis used to do 

[Nick Carter icp]

Garys Match of the Day

 

This is a rat

This is a Jew 

[JakeC]

I've seen the video. There's no sign of any rat. So the rat has nothing to do with the video. The rat must have been added by the original poster and likely Gary didn't know the significance and didn't think anything of it when he reposted it.

[JakeC]

Why the thumbs down? is it not possible that he overlooked it or do you imagine that he is an expert on rats and Zionists? It's certainly the first time I've ever read about it. Should a footballing expert be versed in such things?

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

Absolutely disgusting by Lineker.

 

Any normal organization would have sacked him long ago, but unforunately the BBC appear to share most of his views. 

 

 

Yes and Lineker would have been well aware of that.  

You must have been happy this morning to wake up and see something new you can be offended at. Hand wringing liberal that you are.

[josephbloggs]

7 minutes ago, JakeC said:

I've seen the video. There's no sign of any rat. So the rat has nothing to do with the video. The rat must have been added by the original poster and likely Gary didn't know the significance and didn't think anything of it when he reposted it.

This is the correct answer.

[JakeC]

Where is the video? Then we can decide if anything has been misrepresented. Free speech being attacked again. We are being told what we should think. No thank you.

[JakeC]

There is nothing that can be regarded as anti-Semitic in the video itself. It's a woman telling the story of her family. How they were under military rule between 1948 and 1967 and how they were forced out and not ever allowed back, even though they are Israeli citizens.

But I guess trying to make it all about a rat is purely a deflection.

[James105]

13 minutes ago, JakeC said:

I've seen the video. There's no sign of any rat. So the rat has nothing to do with the video. The rat must have been added by the original poster and likely Gary didn't know the significance and didn't think anything of it when he reposted it.

 

Perhaps a visit to SpecSavers is required?  

 

[JakeC]

Here is the video: 

 

I inspected it closely for any rats before posting.

 

https://www.tiktok.com/@de_bunking_/video/7496228924364655874

[Patong2021]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Learn something new everyday.  So now rats, like swastikas are bad ... 

 

Can't wait till 2032 ... year of 😎

 

It is the context in which it is used. You know that, so drop the feigned surprise.

Linekar is a biased individual and is given to pushing his personal political views. Not the first time he has done this. 

[KhunLA]

8 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

It is the context in which it is used. You know that, so drop the feigned surprise.

Linekar is a biased individual and is given to pushing his personal political views. Not the first time he has done this. 

I found intelligent people can think for themselves.   Snowflakes have a very low melting point. 

 

He got exactly what he wanted.  Free press to spread his thoughts.  It's a shame that supposedly intelligent people can't realize that.   But hate, like sex & blood, sells.

 

You can't fix stupid ... that applies to both sides of the coin.  Those that spout hate, and those that give it an expanded, international platform.   Go figure 

 

Kind of makes you wonder ( I don't ), which is the more stupid or ignorant ones.

[2long]

Is there anyone left to offend, or to connect some animal, colour, or part of the body to hating them?

The world has gone mad!

 

I'm off to my trans midget amputee anti alcohol inclusive meeting!

[Cameroni]

56 minutes ago, JakeC said:

Here is the video: 

 

I inspected it closely for any rats before posting.

 

https://www.tiktok.com/@de_bunking_/video/7496228924364655874

 

Thanks, it's kind of ludicrous Lineker is attacked for reposting this video.

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, JakeC said:

Here is the video: 

 

I inspected it closely for any rats before posting.

 

https://www.tiktok.com/@de_bunking_/video/7496228924364655874

That is not the same video uploader he shared. The rat carton is there all the time on the one he shared. 

 

He also played for spurs. He knows full well what a rat next to a zionist video means. The spurs fan base had plenty of that abuse

[Nick Carter icp]

4 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Thanks, it's kind of ludicrous Lineker is attacked for reposting this video.

 

The video which featured a rat emoji—a symbol that has historically been used as Nazi propaganda to dehumanise Jews.

[Cameroni]

5 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

The video which featured a rat emoji—a symbol that has historically been used as Nazi propaganda to dehumanise Jews.

 

It's a video of a very articulate and smart Palestinian woman tellling the truth about life in Israel.

 

I didn't see any rat emoji.

[JakeC]

It seems that he found the video and the content interesting and re-posted it. I don't think he specifically selected any particular uploader of the video.

Personally, I would have thought the rat was an identifying emoji belonging to the uploader. Like a watermark.

But the assumption is that he knew about it. 

So good has come out of it. Now we know and now more people know about Zionism and Israel. Win-Win, wouldn't you say?

No need for all this hysteria and attempts at mind control. 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

It's a video of a very articulate and smart Palestinian woman tellling the truth about life in Israel.

 

I didn't see any rat emoji.

 

  Can you work that out for yourself ?

Or do you need someone to tell you that the video posted here isn't the same one that Gary posted ?

[Bkk Brian]

5 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

It's a video of a very articulate and smart Palestinian woman tellling the truth about life in Israel.

 

I didn't see any rat emoji.

Why would you? Different video uploaded. It was a vile image that was shared and remained there the full time

[Nick Carter icp]

6 minutes ago, JakeC said:

Who cares about the 'video uploader'? He found the video and the content interesting and re-posted it.

Personally, I would have thought the rat was an identifying emoji belonging to the uploader. Like a watermark.

But the assumption is that he knew about it. 

So good has come out of it. Now we know and now more people know about Zionism and Israel. Win-Win, wouldn't you say?

No need for all this hysteria and attempts at mind control. 

 

 

 

   We don't need any more people being introduced to the subject and suddenly becoming experts on the topic and offering a solution .

   They will need the basics explained  to them and that will take months 

[KhunLA]

25 minutes ago, 2long said:

Is there anyone left to offend, or to connect some animal, colour, or part of the body to hating them?

The world has gone mad!

 

I'm off to my trans midget amputee anti alcohol inclusive meeting!

Why I don't think I can travel international, except to USA, were most free expression is allowed.  I know I definitely can't wear the one shirt I have in the UK or EU, as probably misunderstood and I'd get arrested for it.  Cleared at trial, but too much hassle.

 

Aside from any symbol I might wear, talking might be illegal 

 

And I'm a 'live and let live' kind a guy.   Don't care what you think or say, just stay clear of me & mine, and we won't have a problem.

[Bkk Brian]

7 minutes ago, JakeC said:

I don't think anyone cares about the rat. If there wasn't all this hysteria about it, no one would have known. Certainly not me and I still don't care. I'm more interested in the content of the video.

So your ignorance also extends to not reading the OP. Of course people cared. Disgusting statement 

[Nick Carter icp]

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Why I don't think I can travel international, except to USA, were most free expression is allowed.  I know I definitely can't wear the one shirt I have in the UK or EU, as probably misunderstood and I'd get arrested for it.  Cleared at trial, but too much hassle.

 

Aside from any symbol I might wear, talking might be illegal 

 

And I'm a 'live and let live' kind a guy.   Don't care what you think or say, just stay clear of me & mine, and we won't have a problem.

 

   What symbol is that on your T-shirt ?