A member of the Football Association (FA) council has resigned after comparing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a social media post.
Wasim Haq had already been sacked from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) council following his now-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, on 11 November.
Mr Haq, who was appointed by the LTA and FA to speak for diverse communities and inclusion, tweeted: “Netanyahu has sacrificed his own people to maintain power… whilst #Palestinians are trying to maintain their sanity.
“Adolf Hitler would be proud of Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The LTA responded by “removing him as an independent councillor with immediate effect”, adding that the tweet was “unacceptable” and “in no way reflects the LTA’s position or values”.
The FA said it had launched an investigation and suspended Mr Haq from his role as BAME football communities representative in the interim.
But on Thursday, he tweeted to say: “This morning I have resigned from The FA. I have also reiterated my apology to the Jewish community.
“This war has left thousands dead, many of us are in despair and deeply troubled.
“I hope football can play a future role in easing tensions between communities.”
He attached a lengthy statement, saying his resignation was the “best course of action” and that recent events had left him “bereft of energy and hope”.
“As someone who has worked closely with many Jewish people over the years and created meaningful and valued friendships, the most painful part of this process is knowing that some of those friends and colleagues may not forgive me for the misunderstanding and hurt I have unintentionally caused,” he wrote.
“I take full responsibility and reiterate my apology to them and all those affected.”
He said that his comments were a “direct criticism of a politician, not about a race or a religious group”.
But he admitted he “chose the wrong words entirely”.
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Mr Haq deleted the original tweet three hours after he posted it.
In a replacement post, he said: “My tweet was directly in relation to comparing two individuals who in my eyes have caused contemporary and historical irreparable harm to victimised communities on both sides of this tragic conflict.
“I am NOT antisemitic and have never been accused of being so. I unreservedly apologise if this was taken in any other way.”
Mr Haq – whose X bio says he also serves on the board of England Golf – had been in his LTA role since 2021.
The controversy comes after Sky News learned the arch at Wembley Stadium will no longer be lit up in solidarity with social causes or victims of terror attacks.
The FA has been contacted for comment.
