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LONDON: English sports broadcaster Gary Lineker, at the center of a backlash over a social media post, said that Israel is to blame for the origins of the Gaza conflict, because it turned the territory into an 鈥渙utdoor prison.鈥�

Speaking on Friday in an interview at the Football Business Awards days before he was accused of antisemitism over a post on X, Lineker said that his issues are with the Israeli government rather than Jewish people.

The BBC鈥檚 outgoing 鈥淢atch of the Day鈥� presenter criticized the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza as 鈥渃ompletely out of proportion鈥� to the Oct. 7 attacks.

Lineker鈥檚 post days later featured a pro-Palestinian message containing a rat emoji.

He later deleted the post and apologized but it sparked a furor among Jewish groups and BBC staff members, who have called for him to be sacked.

Lineker, 64, is preparing to host the final episodes of 鈥淢atch of the Day鈥� before returning to front the BBC鈥檚 FA Cup and FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.

鈥淥bviously, Oct. 7 was awful, but it鈥檚 very important to know your history and to study the massacres that happened prior to this, many of them against the Palestinian people,鈥� he told The Telegraph in the Friday interview.

鈥淵es, Israelis have a right to defend themselves. But it appears that Palestinians don鈥檛 鈥� and that is where it鈥檚 wrong. Palestinians are caged in this outdoor prison in Gaza, and now it鈥檚 an outdoor prison that they鈥檙e bombing.鈥�

Lineker also questioned whether Israel could still legitimately argue that it was acting in self-defense. 鈥淚 understand that they needed to avenge, but I don鈥檛 think they鈥檝e helped their own hostage situation at all,鈥� he said.

鈥淧eople say it鈥檚 a complex issue, but I don鈥檛 think it is. It鈥檚 inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to cause massive problems, and I just feel for the Palestinians.鈥�

He said that 鈥渕ost鈥� Jews now recognized that Israel鈥檚 actions have become too extreme. 鈥淭he real heroes are the Jews who have spoken out against it,鈥� he added.

Lineker, who was paid 拢1.4 million ($1.8 million) by the BBC last year, said that he was unfazed by the prospect of his comments provoking a negative reaction.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really care about the backlash. I care about doing the right thing, or what I think is the right thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome people can disagree, that鈥檚 fine. But I have to look at myself in the mirror. I think if you鈥檙e silent on these issues, you鈥檙e almost complicit.鈥�

However, a number of BBC staffers said that Lineker should not be allowed to share his views publicly given his high-profile role at the BBC. They warned that it risked damaging trust in the corporation.

鈥淭he vast majority of BBC staff keep their views to themselves precisely because they work for the BBC,鈥� said one.

鈥淲hy one individual is beyond that I simply don鈥檛 understand. The bosses need to take control. The value of all our collective work is at stake.鈥�

Director-General of the BBC Tim Davie said that 鈥渢he BBC鈥檚 reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.

鈥淲e absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that.鈥�