Gary Lineker Denies Antisemitism While Renewing Criticism of Israel and FIFA

Over a year after leaving the BBC amid controversy, former England footballer and presenter Gary Lineker revisited the backlash over his sharing of a post about Zionism that included a rat emoji, a symbol widely recognized as antisemitic. In a July 2026 interview on the Palestine Deep Dive podcast, Lineker admitted he made a mistake by sharing the post but firmly denied being antisemitic. "I am stupid, but not so stupid as to do something that would harm myself like that," he said, emphasizing his opposition to the killing of children and criticizing Israeli government policies.

Lineker originally shared the post in May 2025, titled "Zionism Explained in Under Two Minutes," which sparked outrage among Jewish BBC employees and led to his apology. However, the Board of Deputies of British Jews rejected his apology as "empty and late," criticizing his conduct on social media. In the recent interview, Lineker stressed the need to distinguish between criticism of Israel and antisemitism, warning about the confusion this causes.

Beyond defending himself, Lineker called on FIFA to suspend Israel, condemning the football authorities for failing to act despite numerous footballers losing their lives. He described Israel as a "lawless state" and criticized the UK’s decision to list the group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, calling it "absurd" and "nonsense." When asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lineker said he believes Netanyahu should be arrested if he visits the UK, though he doubts it would happen.

Lineker’s BBC career ended after the initial controversy, but he continues to host the popular podcast The Rest is Football through his production company Goalhanger.