Lineker, with around 1.2 million followers on the social media platform, shared a video clip earlier in the week with the text "Zionism explained in under two minutes" together with a rat symbol. The sender of the clip is the group Palestine Lobby.
The animal rat has previously been used as an insult against Jews. Zionism is an international movement that supports the state of Israel.
Lineker has removed the post from his "story" since it received a storm of criticism on social media, especially from organizations representing Jews.
The BBC has let the situation with Gary Lineker go too far, says a spokesperson for The Board of Deputies of British Jews in an interview with Daily Mail, which has also been cited by, among others, BBC, and continues:
He has caused gross offense with this video, especially with his flagrant use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists.
Gary Lineker's agent admits that his client believes he has made a mistake.
"He did wrong"
The fact that he removed it illustrates that... He obviously did wrong in posting it. He didn't see the figure (the rat, ed.). He did wrong, says the agent to The Independent.
It's not the first time that the influential former football star and national team captain, one of BBC's highest-paid and owner of his own media company, is in trouble.
In March 2023, BBC suspended Lineker after he criticized the British government and compared formulations in a new asylum law with Nazi Germany. He was back in the popular program "Match of the Day" after BBC established new guidelines for employees' use of social media.
In November last year, it became clear that this season will be Lineker's last in "Match of the Day", although he will work for BBC with the World Championship in the USA, Mexico, and Canada next summer for the British TV and radio channel.
