Anger as Gary Lineker posts anti-Israel blog

Gary Lineker has re-posted anti-Israel content online, sparking an angry reaction from Zionist groups.

The former England footballer retweeted an article on Electronic Intifada (EI), a virulently pro-Palestinian website.

The blog was centred on a video which seems to show an Israeli soldier shooting a stone-throwing Palestinian. The author, EI co-founder Ali Abunimah, posted on Twitter to publicise the article, headed ‘Israelis celebrate video of sniper shooting Palestinian youth’.

Mr Lineker’s implicit support for the blog-piece caused a backlash from pro-Israel supporters.

Sussex Friends of Israel tweeted: “You got this wrong @Garylineker, it needs to come down! If you lay down with dogs, invariably you get up with fleas!”

North West Friends of Israel tweeted that Mr Lineker had shown huge naivety.