FA board member's anti-Israeli social media post being reviewed

Posted on

FA conducting internal review of controversial historical anti-Israeli social media post from chair of their inclusion advisory board amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East

  • Deji Davies put out a controversial anti-Israeli social media post in 2013 
  • The FA are now reviewing the post amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East
  • Can Liverpool challenge for the title? Listen to the debate on It’s All Kicking Off

The Football Association are internally reviewing a controversial anti-Israeli social media post from chair of their inclusion advisory board Deji Davies, Mail Sport can reveal.

It is understood Davies’ historical remarks made on Twitter 10 years ago are under specific scrutiny as part of a wider FA audit into the recent episode that saw them decide against lighting up Wembley’s arch in the colours of Israel’s flag for England’s recent friendly versus Australia.

Davies’ position has been thrust into the spotlight following the emergence of a message in 2013 in which he called for the European Under-21 Championships in Israel to be boycotted.

The post read: ‘Boycotting European U21 tournament. Shouldn’t be being held in Israel at all. Certainly won’t be watching #FreePalestine.’

The comment has since sparked intense criticism given the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the Middle East.

The FA chair of their inclusion advisory board is having a historical anti-Israeli social media post reviewed, just weeks after the FA opted not to light up the Wembley arch in the colours of the Israel flag

Your browser does not support iframes.

Davies, who is also a non-executive director at Brentford, was involved in the decision making process that saw the FA decide against lighting up Wembley’s iconic arch for the victory over the Aussies as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the October 7 attacks.

There is an acknowledgement at the governing body that falling short of illuminating the arch caused anger and upset among specific communities.

While sources insist the FA remain comfortable with their stance, they are keen to learn from the episode.

Moving forward, the FA are considering having a watertight set of guidelines for when they light up the arch for matches in the future.

Part of their internal probe will revolve around Davies’ post on Twitter, although FA insiders are adamant the process will not constitute a full-scale investigation.

Davies has since apologised for the post, writing: ‘I have been made aware of some tweets from 10 years ago in 2013 in which I made some comments that have caused offence when read in the context of horrific recent events in Israel and Palestine,” Davies posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

‘As I do not wish to cause any further offence, they have been deleted. Since then I have learned more about the complexities of what is clearly an incredibly difficult, nuanced subject and I continue to learn.

‘My current views on the situation are clear, the barbaric acts of Hamas last weekend were horrific and resulted in the loss of many innocent victims. What is now occurring with the loss of innocent lives across Israel and Palestine is heartbreaking and I stand behind the FA’s message of peace and unity for all.’

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Read Full Article