Pro-Palestine football fans lament West Ham for signing Manor Solomon

For West Ham United, there is an obvious argument for signing 27-year-old Manor Solomon: his footballing talent, which has been evident throughout his career.

He won two Ukrainian league titles with Shakhtar Donetsk and scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League, before later scoring in four consecutive Premier League games for Fulham. Most relevant to West Ham, however, was his Championship-winning 2024-25 season at Leeds United, where he scored 10 goals and supplied 12 assists in 39 league appearances.

Relegated from the Premier League, the London club has signed the Israeli winger from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal reportedly worth an initial 5 million pounds ($6.75m), potentially rising to 7 million pounds ($9.45m).

West Ham’s board described promotion as the club’s “unquestionable goal”.

But the player’s arrival in east London has sparked an online backlash as Solomon has repeatedly used his public platform to support Israel.

Weeks after the October 2023 attacks by Palestinian groups, he wrote on Instagram that “Israel has the right to defend itself” and urged followers to “Pray for Israel”. During Israel’s genocide in Gaza, he shared a post accusing Palestinian groups of “killing their own people and blaming Israel”.

Responding to the viral “ All Eyes on Rafah ” trend, he posted, “Where were your eyes on October 7?”. He has also spoken publicly about campaigning for Israeli captives and explaining Israel’s position to teammates.

In September 2025, his arrival at Villarreal also upset some, with pro-Palestine accounts posting Palestinian flag icons, boycott calls and messages declaring him unwelcome at the Spanish club. The hostility later reached the stadium, where Palestinian flags were displayed and Solomon was jeered during Villarreal’s visit to Sevilla.