New York Jets coach Robert Saleh sparks huge controversy by wearing a Lebanon flag on his arm in the wake of Israel's strikes on Beirut

New York Jets caput manager Robert Saleh sparked contention during the team's NFL crippled against the Minnesota Vikings successful London connected Sunday. 

The 45-year-old was spotted connected the sidelines astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium wearing a Lebanese emblem beneath the Nike logo connected the sleeve of his squad hoodie. 

The nighttime earlier Sunday's crippled - the archetypal of the NFL's planetary fixtures this play - Israeli bombing continued connected Beirut, the Lebanese capital, amid the Israel-Hezbollah war.

The Hezbollah stronghold successful southbound Beirut was deed by much than 30 strikes overnight, which were heard crossed the city, with fume inactive seen billowing from the tract aft dawn, Lebanon's authoritative National News Agency said. 

Saleh, who is of Lebanese heritage, antecedently wore a akin spot past October but his determination to carnivore the emblem Sunday raised eyebrows arsenic the day of the opening of the warfare successful Gaza approaches. 

Saleh's covering successful the aftermath of the attacks near NFL fans divided connected societal media with galore furious, portion others defended his close to explicit pridefulness successful his heritage.    

'Robert saleh p***ing disconnected a batch of the Jew York assemblage with the Lebanon emblem connected his apical nary doubt,' 1 societal media idiosyncratic shared to X, formerly known arsenic Twitter.

'What a t**d that feline is,' different added, portion a 3rd wrote: 'I anticipation they permission Hezbollah Sally successful London erstwhile the Jets travel backmost to New York.'

The Jets suffered humiliation astatine the hands of the Vikings passim the archetypal fractional of Sunday's game, risking a blowout decision until a last-gasp touchdown connected the brink of halftime. 

And immoderate societal media users claimed that Saleh's governmental stance would not assistance his occupation security. 

'Bigger contented is the Lebanese emblem connected saleh’s sleeve,' 1 instrumentality said, replying to different station criticizing the Jets' performance. 

'I americium not definite that Robert Saleh wearing the Lebanese Flag, which helium evidently added connected his own, is going to assistance him with his ownership arsenic his squad gets embarrassed again,' different added.

'Yup - seems destroying my shot squad with his horrendous coaching conscionable isn’t enough,' a 3rd chimed in. 

However, others defended Saleh, highlighting his Lebanese-American background. 

One posted: 'He’s Lebanese American. Everyone other is allowed to beryllium arrogant of their practice wherefore should he?'

'Robert Saleh sporting the Lebanese emblem is cool,' a station from different relationship read. 'Would anticipation helium talks oregon posts astir what’s happening to his radical successful Lebanon .'

A 3rd echoed the argument, saying: 'Good for him. He’s Lebanese and I’m definite this is for his people. He’s astir apt connected Israel’s side. But wearing that emblem you cognize he’s going to beryllium asked astir it.' 

'I'm Jewish but travel connected he's from Lebanon and seeing the state of his ancestors astatine war. I tin enactment Israel and recognize this too,' different said. 

Born successful Dearborn, Michigan, Saleh is an American national but his roots hint backmost to Lebanon. 

His parents, Sam and Fatin, emigrated from the Middle East to the United States earlier helium was born. 

Upon his hiring arsenic the Jets' caput manager successful 2021, Saleh became the archetypal Muslim caput manager successful the past of the NFL. 

Airstrikes Saturday nighttime lit up Beirut's skyline and large explosions echoed crossed the confederate suburbs, known arsenic the Dahiyeh, arsenic Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah militant sites successful Lebanon. 

Following the overnight airstrikes Saturday, Israel's subject confirmed it was striking targets adjacent Beirut and said astir 30 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with immoderate intercepted.

At slightest 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, person been killed and 1.2 cardinal driven from their homes successful little than 2 weeks. Israel says it aims to thrust the militant radical distant from its borderline truthful that tens of thousands of Israeli citizens tin instrumentality to their homes.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest equipped unit successful Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel astir instantly aft Hamas' October 7 attack, calling it a amusement of enactment for the Palestinians. Hezbollah and Israel's subject person traded occurrence astir daily.

Last week, Israel launched what it said was a constricted crushed cognition into confederate Lebanon aft a bid of attacks killed longtime Hezbollah person Hassan Nasrallah and astir of his apical commanders. The warring is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong warfare successful 2006. Nine Israeli soldiers person been killed successful crushed clashes that Israel says person killed 440 Hezbollah fighters.

It is not imaginable to verify battlefield reports from either side.