West Ham urges fans to stop chanting ‘anti-Palestine message’

West Ham football club is calling on its fans to stop singing a chant “containing an anti-Palestine message” as it prepares to host the first home game of the season in England’s second-tier Championship.

In a long statement published on Thursday, the east London club said it was “aware of an offensive and divisive chant” being sung by a section of its supporters during the first game of the season at Burnley on Sunday.

One of West Ham’s summer signings was Israel winger Manor Solomon, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur on a three-year deal.

“We encourage our supporters to sing loud and proud about their football club and the players wearing the claret and blue shirt — but never in a way that creates division or causes offence among fellow fans,” West Ham said in the statement issued to “remind supporters of the responsibility we all hold to represent the club in the right way”.

West Ham, relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, hosts Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on Saturday.