West Ham urges fans to stop chanting ‘anti-Palestine message’

What the report says

West Ham United has asked supporters to stop chanting a song the club says contains an anti-Palestinian message. In a statement published Thursday, the east London football club said it was aware of an offensive and divisive chant being sung by some fans during its opening match of the season at Burnley on Sunday.

The club’s appeal comes as West Ham prepares for its first home game of the campaign, against Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on Saturday. West Ham was relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and is now playing in England’s second-tier Championship. The club said it wants supporters to back the team in ways that do not create division or offense among fellow fans.

The issue has also drawn attention because of one of West Ham’s summer signings, Israel winger Manor Solomon, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur on a three-year contract. Al Jazeera, citing The Associated Press, reported that the club framed its message as a reminder of fans’ responsibility to represent West Ham appropriately. More broadly, football clubs in Europe have faced repeated disputes over political chants and symbols in the stands, especially amid heightened sensitivity around the Israel-Palestine conflict.