Jewish community hit out at Pep Guardiola over his support of Palestine

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been urged to be “more careful with his future language” by representatives of the city’s Jewish community following his public comments regarding Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Guardiola delivered a speech in his home city of Barcelona last week, expressing support for Palestinian children at a charity event.

On Tuesday, he told journalists at a press conference that the suffering of innocent people caught in conflicts, including the ongoing situation in the Middle East, “hurts” him and compels him to speak out.

However, the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region has advised Guardiola to “focus on football”, expressing concerns that such remarks could fuel antisemitic acts.

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The group also accused him of a “total failure” to display solidarity with Manchester’s Jewish community in the wake of last October’s attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue, which claimed two lives.

“We have repeatedly asked for prominent individuals to be mindful about the words they use given how Jewish people have had to endure attacks across the globe,” a statement posted on X read.

“Pep Guardiola is a football manager. Whilst his humanitarian reflections may be well-intentioned, he should focus on football.

“Manchester City is being let down by him repeatedly straying into commentary on international affairs. This is the second time in a week he has decided to offer his controversial views on the Middle East conflict.

“It’s especially galling given his total failure to use his significant platform to display any solidarity with the Jewish community subjected to a terrorist attack a few miles from the Etihad Stadium or the Barcelona community reeling from antisemitic violence close to where he once engaged in remarks we believe to be provocative.

“We implore Mr Guardiola to be more careful in his future language given the significant risk faced by our community.”

City have been contacted for comment regarding the JRC statement.

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Guardiola said on Tuesday: “Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the info in front of our eyes, watching more clearly than now – genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world, in Sudan, everywhere.

“What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It’s our problems as human beings.

“There is somebody who sees the images from all around the world who is not affected?

“Today we can see it. Before we could not see it. Today we see. It hurts me.

“If it was the opposite side, it would hurt me. Wanting harm for another country? It hurts me. (To) completely kill thousands of innocent people, it hurts me. It’s no more complicated than that. No more.

“When you have an idea and you need to defend (it) and you have to kill thousands, thousands of people – I’m sorry, I will stand up. Always I will be there, always.”