The controversial Manor Solomon chant and why West Ham have asked fans not to sing it

It did not take long for Manor Solomon to have an impact on his West Ham United debut against Burnley last weekend.

Solomon, the Israel international who joined from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for £5million earlier this month, scored in a 2-2 draw on Sunday, West Ham’s opening Championship game of the season.

Some supporters also paraded the Israel flag. In October 2023, Premier League clubs were advised to prohibit Israel and Palestinian flags inside stadiums. And then in August 2025, clubs were reminded that material which could be considered “politically motivated”, which could include symbolism of countries in conflict, should not be permitted in stadiums.

Ahead of this Saturday’s home game against Charlton Athletic, West Ham published a statement discouraging supporters from singing the “offensive and divisive” chant, which contains an “anti-Palestine message”.

The Athletic answers the key questions about the chant, why it is controversial and what Solomon has said previously about it.

Is this chant new?

The chant initially surfaced during Solomon’s loan spell at Leeds United in the 2024-25 season. Supporters sang it during a 2-0 Boxing Day victory over Stoke City in December 2024. Leeds published a statement after the match condemning the chant.

“Discriminatory language or chanting is not acceptable and supporters could be breaking the law,” it read. “The club condemns this behaviour and has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination abuse of all kinds.

“Tough measures and sanctions are in place across all English football leagues to tackle illegal behaviours within football grounds, and this involves but is not limited to, discriminatory behaviour and tragedy chanting.”

But supporters continued to sing the chant about the 27-year-old winger, forcing Leeds to release another statement and threatening fans with stadium bans if caught singing it.

Manor Solomon celebrates scoring on his West Ham debut in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Burnley (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Why is the chant controversial?

In short, because it refers to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The present conflict began in October 2023 after Hamas killed around 1,200 people and captured 250 hostages in southern Israel. According to figures reported by The New York Times on August 19, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since. That figure has been reported by the territory’s health ministry, whose data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and includes thousands of children.

The chant has left many people feeling uncomfortable. “It’s a hateful, celebratory chant that is very shallow and talks about hating a nation,” Danielle Bett, the director of communications at British-Jewish organisation Yachad, which supports a political resolution to the conflict, tells The Athletic.

“This chant should be condemned and not endorsed. As an Israeli, I don’t want to be represented and characterised by hate.

“I don’t know Manor Solomon’s political beliefs and I’m not sure that I want to have every Israeli abroad, be it a footballer or anyone else, to have to be the spokesperson on the conflict.

“The focus needs to be on the issues Israelis and people in Palestine face, and how we talk about it in a meaningful way. The chant makes a very broad assumption and normalises the idea that Israelis and Palestinians hate one another. That is just not helpful.”

Leeds United fans sang the same chant during a match against Stoke City in December 2024 (Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

Supporters group Israeli Hammers also issued a statement supporting  West Ham’s efforts to discourage supporters from singing the chant.

“As the Israeli Hammers, we don’t encourage hatred towards Palestinians, or towards any group of people. Football should bring people together and our message has always been one of peace, respect and support for West Ham.

“We also believe Manor should be treated first and foremost as what he is: a footballer. At the same time, we think it is important to acknowledge the amount of hostility and abuse, including antisemitic abuse, Manor has received online since signing for West Ham, much of it directed at him simply because he is Israeli. We also fully support the statement issued by West Ham United.”

Has Solomon ever said anything about it?

The last time Solomon spoke publicly about the chant was during an interview with The Athletic in January 2025 during his time as a Leeds player.

“I prefer not to comment about it,” he said. “I just want to say I’m grateful for the support of the fans, for everyone, and it doesn’t matter where they’re from and what they believe and what they support.”

Could West Ham or their supporters be punished for this?

That is unclear. The Football Association is aware of the chanting that took place at Burnley’s Turf Moor stadium on Sunday but has yet to say anything publicly on the chant.

West Ham have an anti-discrimination policy that states that they have “a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination.”

What have West Ham said?

On Thursday, West Ham issued a statement which read: “Everyone at the club recognises that each and every supporter is an ambassador for West Ham United at our fixtures. Regardless of their background, every supporter within our diverse fanbase should also be free to enjoy watching their team play football without fear, discrimination or abuse. And we remain committed to ensuring that everyone feels safe, respected and included.

“The club is aware of an offensive and divisive chant, containing an anti-Palestine message, being sung by a section of away supporters during our opening EFL Championship match at Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

“We understand that singing and chanting is a traditional and deeply-embedded part of the matchday experience. We encourage our supporters to sing loud and proud about their football club and the players wearing the claret and blue shirt — but never in a way that creates division or causes offence among fellow fans.”