• The New York Jets dismissed head coach Robert Saleh shortly after he was observed wearing a hoodie adorned with the Lebanese flag.
• Jets owner Woody Johnson has previously visited Israel, meeting with PM Benjamin Netanyahu and touring an illegal Israeli settlement.
On October 8, the New York Jets dismissed head coach Robert Saleh, just two days after he was seen wearing a Lebanese flag on his team hoodie.
NBC Sports reported that security escorted Saleh from the building, a notable departure from previous instances when the Jets parted ways with head coaches.
In 2011, Jets owner Woody Johnson visited Israel with Mitt Romney, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and touring an illegal Israeli settlement. Now, as Israel bombs Lebanon alongside Gaza, it seems Saleh’s public display of Lebanese heritage became a liability for him.
Johnson is a former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom under the Trump administration and heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, has an estimated net worth of $8.77 billion according to Bloomberg. In addition, he faced a 2006 Senate investigation over controversial tax practices and, in 2020, was investigated by the State Department’s watchdog for alleged racist and sexist remarks toward staff.
While some argue Saleh’s firing was due to the Jets’ recent performance—winning only two of their last five games—mid-season dismissals of NFL coaches are rare, and Johnson has never done so before, according to The Athletic.
Saleh, the NFL’s first Muslim and Lebanese head coach, wore the Lebanese flag last season as part of the NFL’s heritage program, encouraging team members to display their cultural origins. However, this weekend marked the first time he displayed the flag since Israel began bombing Lebanon indiscriminately, raising questions about the timing.
Saleh’s case echoes others who’ve lost jobs for showing solidarity with countries under Israeli attack. Multiple corporations have fired, or rescinded offers to, those who’ve expressed support for Palestine amid Israel’s recent inhumane actions in Gaza. Surely, athletes, like any employees, should be able to honour their heritage and express solidarity with countries affected by Israel’s military actions without fear of retribution, in the name of freedom of expression. Had Saleh worn an Israeli flag—representing a nation currently accused of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians and Lebanese—it seems unlikely he would face the same consequences.
