Photo: Sky News

EA on Pat Kenny Show: Trump Attacks South Africa; Israel’s Plan for Gaza Occupation

In a British media landscape of populist narratives, culture wars, manufactured outrage, and double standards, Gary Lineker — England football hero, long-time presenter of Match of the Day, and all-around nice guy — is now bigger than any of those. A lightning rod for hard-right ire, he is an exemplar of moral courage.

The constant backlash against Lineker for speaking up on issues ranging from refugee rights to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza is not just unfair — it’s deeply hypocritical. It exposes the frailty of a British media establishment that prides itself on “free speech”, but only for those who parrot the status quo and agree with them.

Gaza, Instagram, and the New Red Lines

On May 13, Lineker — a steadfast opponent of Israel’s mass killings in Gaza — shared an Instagram post from the group Palestine Lobby. Titled “Zionism explained in two minutes”, it included a drawing of a rat.

Critics pointed out that a rat has historically been used as an antisemitic insult, and was used by Nazi Germany to characterize Jews amid the Holocaust.

Lineker deleted his repost and apologized in a statement:

On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. I very much regret these references.

I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in….

Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters.

I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views.

Lineker’s willingness to acknowledge the hurt he had caused and to take moral responsibility should have opened the door to reflection and dialogue.

Instead, he was pilloried in the right-wing press. Meanwhile, British media ignored the context of Israel’s military operations, cutoff of humanitarian aid, and plans for long-term occupation of Gaza. Instead, they continued to featured Israel’s defense of those actions, denial of the existence of famine, and dismissal of the evidence of war crimes. They even included calls for Gaza to be “flattened” or “wiped out”.

Lineker’s flawed but compassionate post became a convenient smokescreen, diverting attention from — or sanitizing — the horrors. New red lines are being drawn where criticism of Israel, no matter how factual or based on human rights, is treated as inherently suspect or dangerous.

The disparity in response is revelatory: in our ideologically aligned media landscape, those who speak up for Palestinian lives are held to impossible standards, while those who dehumanize Palestinians are protected and even rewarded.

The Farce of “Impartiality”

The BBC, a State-funded institution that preaches impartiality, has repeatedly tied itself in knots over Lineker’s social media posts. When Lineker likened the UK Government’s anti-migrant rhetoric to that of 1930s Germany, the hard-right media and their political friends like Suella Braverman, then Conservative Home Secretary, exploded. Newspapers that routinely tolerate racist dog whistles from their columnists feigned outrage.

The BBC suspended Lineker as host of Match of the Day, only to reinstate him days later after public support surged in his favor and fellow presenters such as Alan Shearer and Ian Wright threatened to quit.

In contrast, the BBC did not react when Alan Sugar, the host of The Apprentice, tweeted that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was “a bigger threat than ISIS”. Andrew Neil — former editor-in-chief of The Spectator, a magazine notable for its inflammatory coverage of immigration and race, has presented multiple flagship programmes for the broadcaster with no outcry over partiality. Robbie Gibb, a Director of Communications for Prime Minister Theresa May and prominent supporter of Brexit, joined the BBC Board in 2021.

Political speech, however provocative, is tolerated if it aligns with what the British establishment deems acceptable. If you support the status quo, you’re a commentator. If you question it, you’re a problem.

The Dismissal of Empathy

Lineker has consistently used the platform of his sporting fame to champion the marginalized. He has hosted refugees in his own home. He has spoken out for migrants drowning in the English Channel. He has raised concerns about racism, xenophobia, and media demonization of vulnerable groups. He has not tweeted and posted for reach and likes, but for awareness and action.

This basic human decency has made him a bogeyman for the hard-right press. To them, Lineker is dangerous not because he is wrong, but because he offers moral leadership in an era where political cowardice is prevalent. When so many with a following are mute, Lineker speaks. That makes him an exception, and in a media system resting on compliance, exceptions must be punished.

His critics don’t just disagree with him. They loathe what he represents: a compassionate, principled man who refuses to be bullied into silence. For the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, GB “News”, Talk TV and their ilk, that is intolerable.

A Belated Shift on Gaza?

Yet there is a shift in British political culture. On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy stood in Parliament to condemn Israel’s conduct in Gaza as “intolerable”. He labeled extremist rhetoric from Israeli ministers “repellent” and “monstrous”. The Government suspended trade talks with Israel, imposed sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank, partially halted arms export licenses, and pledged humanitarian aid to Gaza.

These are significant if overdue steps. But they must be followed by sustained pressure and accountability. Otherwise, they risk being mere gestures.

In the media, personalities aligned with the liberal centre, such as James O’Brien and Alastair Campbell, are saying that Israel’s response in Gaza is “beyond the pale”. The narratives justifying Israel’s actions and rendering Palestinians voiceless, are no longer holding.

Because of the revelations of raw footage, social media, and local journalists risking their lives in Gaza, the PR machine that has shielded Israel from scrutiny is cracking. Those once seen as defending the indefensible are having their voices heard.

“Conscience Over Comfort”

As a child, I idolized Gary Lineker. My first memory of him is from the 1986 World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot. He was quick, intelligent, and composed. He was mild-mannered, never booked in his professional career. He played with grace.

Almost a decade later, he became my hero again as a broadcaster and public figure. Through Match of the Day, he helped shape British football culture with insight, humor, and humanity on our television screens.

More than that, he became a moral compass in a noisy world. He reminded us that decency is not outdated, that taking a stand still matters. In an age of media compliance and political cynicism,
Lineker chose conscience over comfort.

As Lineker steps back from the BBC, I do not believe he is retreating. This feels like the beginning of something else, perhaps even something bigger.

Because the truth is: we don’t need fewer Gary Lineker’s. We need more. More public figures willing to speak honestly. More voices for justice and fairness, especially when that justice and fairness is unpopular.

Britain is at a crossroads. The headlines are dominated by hard-right culture warriors, but we have a choice. To side with decency or with distortion. To silence dissent or to listen.

Gary Lineker has made his choice. And like all heroes, he will not be silenced. Because in the end, truth which is spoken clearly and compassionately cuts through even the loudest noise.