Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury ‘sorry for offence’ caused by pro-Palestinian post
The former England Under-21 star insists the post has ‘unfortunately been misinterpreted’
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Your support makes all the difference.Hamza Choudhury is “sorry for any offence caused” after the Leicester City midfielder’s social media post was considered by some to be supportive of Palestinian nationalism.
Choudhury posted an image of a Palestinian flag on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, adding the caption: "From river to sea".
Critics state that the phrase implies the destruction of Israel, although some pro-Palestinian protesters reject this interpretation.
The 26-year-old added that the post had "unfortunately been misinterpreted”. The player is the latest person in football to opine on the conflict in Gaza after German club Mainz suspended Anwar El Ghazi over a pro-Palestinian post, while Celtic supporters displayed their support for Palestine with flags during their recent Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
Choudhury’s post has since been deleted with a new post including a statement: "It was and is not my intention to cause offence to anyone but simply to show compassion for the innocent people that are suffering.
"I'm sorry for any offence this has caused. I share the hope of people around the world that a peaceful resolution can bring an end to the ongoing suffering of innocent people in this conflict."
The Football Association is aware of the post and is understood to be analysing whether it breaches any regulations.
Championship side Leicester added: "We have discussed the matter with Hamza, and shared our concerns that views expressed in this manner - without sufficient context on a deeply nuanced and sensitive topic - are open to misinterpretation, which risks unintentional offence among sections of our communities.
"The thoughts of Leicester City Football Club remain with all the innocent victims of the tragic events unfolding in Israel and Palestine, their families and the communities affected."
At a pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday, some protestors chanted the phrase used in the post, in reference to the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean.
While UK home secretary Suella Braverman urged police chiefs to conside the phrase as an "expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world".
While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman has labelled the phrase as “a deeply offensive chant to many”.