LONDON (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 afterfacing criticismfor reposting an Instagram story aboutZionismwhich 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 ($1.7 million) a year, wasset to leaveflagship 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, he said Monday 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, includingby the Nazisin 1930s Germany.
