West Ham are being heavily criticised for signing an Israeli player

West Ham are under fire for signing Israeli player

West Ham are facing criticism for signing 27-year-old Israeli player Manor Solomon. The player's outspoken support for Israel amid the war in Gaza has sparked a backlash from fans on social media.

The London club, which has been relegated from the Premier League, signed the player from Tottenham. The initial fee was set at £5 million ($6.75 million), but with bonuses this amount could rise to £7 million ($9.45 million).

The transfer of the Israeli player has caused a lot of controversy. Solomon wrote on his Instagram page after the events of October 2023 that "Israel has the right to defend itself" and urged his followers to "pray for Israel." He also shared posts accusing Palestinians of killing their own people.

Such behavior has also caused problems for his previous teams. In particular, when he moved to Villarreal in September 2025, the Spanish club's fans announced a boycott on social media. Later, during an away match against Sevilla, Palestinian flags were raised in the stadium and the player was booed.

Meanwhile, West Ham's social media pages are also divided: some write "Freedom for Palestine", while others leave the Israeli flag and support Solomon.

The club's fans have different opinions on this issue. In particular, 28-year-old fan Callum Gordon said that he is in favor of separating sport and politics: "I prefer to evaluate him only as a player and focus on what he can do on the pitch."

Lola Wright, a 20-year-old fan, said she sees the situation in Gaza as genocide and disagreed with Solomon's stance: "There's no denying he's a good player. But this season, the team spirit and the connection between the fans are more important to us. This transfer will definitely have a negative impact on both aspects."

The criticism has also been fueled by reports that the player served in the Israeli army. Although there is no clear evidence that he directly participated in hostilities, this situation is still painful for Palestinians.

For information, according to statistics from the Palestinian Football Association, as of February 12, 2026, 1,007 representatives of the sports community in Gaza, including 565 players, were killed. 265 sports facilities in the territory were seriously damaged.