Manor Solomon has been at West Ham for five minutes and he's already dealing with this. Less than a week into his Championship debut, a section of the club's own away support were filmed singing an "anti-Palestine" chant in his name during last Sunday's 2-2 draw at Burnley. West Ham moved quickly — issuing a formal warning to supporters ahead of Saturday's home opener against Charlton Athletic.
The chant, as captured on video: "Manor Solomon's on my mind and he hates Palestine." It's not new — Leeds fans were filmed singing something near-identical during Solomon's loan spell there in 2024-25, the season the club won the Championship. Now it's followed him to east London.
Not just a PR statement
West Ham's response was pointed. "Each and every supporter is an ambassador," the club said, adding that fans should be "free to enjoy watching their team play football without fear, discrimination or abuse." Standard language, sure — but the context makes it worth saying clearly.
Because Solomon hasn't exactly had an easy few years as a professional footballer. He faced a Fiorentina politician calling him "not welcome in Florence" when he joined the Italian club. On loan at Villarreal in September 2025, he heard chants of "Israelis are murderers" from Sevilla supporters. The Israeli Hammers fan group flagged that he's also been on the receiving end of significant antisemitic abuse online since signing for West Ham — simply for being Israeli.
The Israeli Hammers put it plainly: "Manor should be treated first and foremost as what he is: a footballer." Hard to argue with that.
What this means on the pitch
Solomon, 27, scored on his Championship debut at Burnley. That's not nothing — West Ham are a club rebuilding after Premier League relegation, and they need their new winger contributing immediately, not managing controversy off the field before the season's even found its rhythm.
- Solomon joined from Tottenham on a three-year deal with an option for a fourth year
- He has 49 caps for Israel and previously played for Shakhtar Donetsk, Fulham, and Leeds
- He scored in West Ham's 2-2 draw at Burnley on the opening weekend
A winger who can score on debut is exactly what a Championship promotion push needs. Whether the noise around him settles — or follows him from ground to ground — is a question the club's statement alone won't answer.
