Leeds United has signed Israeli winger Manor Solomon on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur and the decision has been met with mixed reactions from LUFC fans.
The signing was announced Tuesday, eliciting many congratulatory messages on social media as well as a flurry of anti-Israel and antisemitic abuse directed at the 25-year-old international player from Kfar Saba in central Israel.
A since-disabled account replied to the announcement on X by saying, “No k**e is welcome at my club.” At the same time, another wrote, “Anyone who is supporting a genocide perpetrator in Manor Solomon transfer to Leeds United, has no morals and we don't want you or him at Elland Rd, you are not worthy of supporting LUFC.”
Solomon, who recently recovered from a knee injury that prevented him from playing competitively with the Spurs since September 2023, made his football debut at 17 for the Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Petah Tikva. He had a loan spell with Fulham from Ukrainian FC Shakhtar Donetsk in 2022-23 and scored four goals in 19 Premier League games.
But Solomon has been attacked online for his Israeli background and service in the IDF, even while signed for Tottenham. The news of his signing for LUFC has reignited anti-Israel abuse towards Solomon, with one X user writing that they’d rather the team be “relegated” than sign “that Zionist Manor Solomon.”
“There are good footballing reasons not to sign Manor Solomon,” a separate account wrote on X. “But the most important reason not to sign him is he actively supports what the IDF is doing in Gaza. He's not a good man. Period.”
One Instagram user called the decision to sign Solomon “tasteless and tone-deaf" while another wrote that he was “so upset to sign children killer.”
But others have come to Solomon’s defense, noting LUFC’s Jewish background; consecutive Chairmans Manny Cussins and Leslie Silver were both Jewish and LUFC had three Jewish directors from the 1960s while Tottenham Hotspur’s first Jewish director was only appointed in 1982.
One X user wrote: “Leeds fans saying you don't want Manor Solomon because he's Jewish and from Israel are a disgrace and that is not what Leeds United is about as a club.”
LUFC has told the JC that “all comments on social media are monitored by our IT team and appropriate action will be taken where necessary.”
In November, Solomon’s Instagram account was temporarily deactivated after a mistake by the platform Meta that was initially believed to be in relation to his posting a show of support for Israel in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Solomon returned to Israel shortly after, posting a condemnation of Hamas and a message asking for people to “pray for Israel.”
On Tuesday Solomon expressed excitement about joining Leeds United, telling the club website: “I've heard a lot about the club, about its fans, about the heritage, the history. I know it's a massive club in England and I'm looking forward to seeing the fans and to meet them all.
“As soon as the interest from Leeds came, I started to look for the players, for the coach and I've spoken with the manager and he explained to me about the style of playing, about the players that there are in Leeds,” he said.
“I know there is a group of great lads, young people with great desire, with great techniques and I'm looking forward to playing with them and to help them in the best way I can.”
Leeds have won one and drawn two of their opening three Championship games this season.
