London, May 19 (AP) Gary Lineker, the former England soccer player and now a media celebrity, will step down from his role as a presenter for the BBC after facing criticism for reposting an Instagram story about Zionism which featured a picture of a rat.

The 64-year-old Lineker, who is the BBC’s highest-paid presenter on about 1.3 million pounds (USD 1.7 million) a year, was set to leave flagship soccer highlights show “Match of the Day” at the end of this season but remain with the corporation to front other soccer coverage, including next year’s men’s World Cup.

However, on Monday he said he will leave the BBC after the final Match of the Day next weekend in the wake of his decision to share a post from the group, Palestine Lobby, illustrated with a picture of a rat, titled: “Zionism explained in two minutes.” Rats, linked to disease and dirt, have been used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany. (AP)

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