A British soccer official has resigned after spreading anti-Semitic claims on social media about Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Reuters, the English soccer official is Wasim Haq.
In a post on Twitter/X, Haq claimed that Nazi leader “Adolf Hitler would be proud” would be proud of the Jewish PM.
Haq was a council member of the Football Association (FA).
The FA oversees England’s foremost soccer division, the Premier League.
Haq posted the message, linking Netanyahu to Hitler, to his X account on November 11.
He wrote, “Netanyahu has sacrificed his own people to maintain power . . . whilst #Palestinians are trying to maintain their sanity.
“Adolf Hitler would be proud of Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Haq was hit with a widespread backlash over the post, and, within hours of making it, he decided to delete it.
He then posted a subsequent message in which he insisted that he is not an anti-Semite.
Haq, in part, wrote:
“My tweet was directly in relation to comparing two individuals who in my eyes have caused contemporary and historical irreparable harm to victimized communities on both sides of this tragic conflict.
“I am not and never have been the kind of person that targets anyone or any community over any difference ever.
“I am NOT antisemitic and have never been accused of being so.”
The damage, though, had already been done.
The FA suspended Haq for his original post.
And, now, Haq has tendered his resignation.
Haq shared his resignation letter Thursday on his X account.
He chalked up his original message to “heightened emotions.”
He continued by insisting that his message was “direct criticism of a politician, not about a race or a religious group.”
Take a look:
This morning I have resigned from The FA. I have also reiterated my apology to the Jewish community.
This war has left thousands dead, many of us are in despair and deeply troubled.
I hope football can play a future role in easing tensions between communities.
Pls read ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lqXUU5lDdQ
— Wasim Haq 🏴🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@wasim_haq) November 23, 2023
Haq writes that he is “planning a direct personal engagement with members of the Jewish community” and that he is offering to help the FA “to develop a systematic process in which we can bring communities together in the future.”
We’ll have to see if the FA accepts his offer.
In the meantime, Reuters reports:
Haq has also been sacked from his role as an independent councilor at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, while he is also being investigated by England Golf, where he holds a role similar to that at the FA.
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