Radio star Ray Hadley has slammed Sonny Bill Williams for supporting Hamas’s attack on Israel in a blistering tirade in which he told Channel Nine to sack the former NRL and rugby union superstar.
Hadley appeared on Ben Fordham’s 2GB show on Tuesday morning to comment on NSW Attorney General Michael Daley’s ‘disgraceful’ reaction to a pro-Palestinian protest at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night.
Daley advised Sydneysiders to ‘calm down’ and ‘stay home’ after admitting to being unaware of the protest in a car crash interview with Fordham on Tuesday morning.
Hadley condemned his stance before launching into Williams, who shared and liked a post saying the Hamas militants who attacked Israel should be called freedom fighters instead of terrorists.
Williams (pictured at the Islamic sacred site, the Kaaba, in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca) infuriated Hadley by sharing and liking a post about Hamas militants
![The ex-NRL and All Blacks star shared this post saying the people responsible for the disgraceful attacks on Israel should be known as freedom fighters](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/10/03/76357155-12612389-The_ex_NRL_and_All_Blacks_star_shared_this_post_saying_the_peopl-a-7_1696904364090.jpg)
The ex-NRL and All Blacks star shared this post saying the people responsible for the disgraceful attacks on Israel should be known as freedom fighters
He branded the Opera House protesters ‘lunatics’ before turning his sights on the ex-All Black, who works as a footy commentator for Nine Entertainment, the owners of 2GB.
‘There’s another lunatic I want to mention who’s employed by this organisation, Sonny Bill Williams,’ Hadley began.
‘Now, Sonny Bill Williams has re-tweeted something from some other lunatic, and he says, so Ukrainian civilians defending their families are freedom fighters, but Palestinians in Gaza doing the exact same thing are terrorists.
‘As I’ve said, if brains were dynamite, Sonny Bill Williams wouldn’t blow his ears off.
‘It’s embarrassing for me and other people connected with this radio and TV network that he’s employed by – and I think that the CEO of the company should review his employment prospects.
![Hadley called for the head of Nine Entertainment - owners of his employer, Radio 2GB - to look at sacking Williams over his stance on the attacks](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/10/03/76356153-12612389-Hadley_called_for_the_head_of_Nine_Entertainment_owners_of_his_e-a-8_1696904364758.jpg)
Hadley called for the head of Nine Entertainment – owners of his employer, Radio 2GB – to look at sacking Williams over his stance on the attacks
‘I think it’s a disgrace. We’ve got Jewish people being attacked, we’ve got children being killed, we’ve got women being slaughtered, we’ve got a threat now from Hamas that if they do invade Gaza, they’ll behead the hostages, and we’ve got lunatics like Sonny Bill Williams, and Michael Daley, the chief law officer in NSW, performing as he did on your show this morning.
‘Words escape me, Ben.’
Williams, who has been one of the best athletes of his generation across sterling careers in rugby league, rugby union and boxing, took to social media on Sunday to retweet his support for the Palestinian cause.
He shared a post from American law professor, author and controversial columnist Khaled Beydoun that said: ‘So, Ukrainian civilians defending their families are ‘freedom fighters’… But Palestinians in Gaza doing the EXACT same thing are ‘terrorists’?’
Williams reposted the comment with the 100 emoji to emphasise his approval, and the palms-up emoji to represent prayer.
![Sonny Bill works as a footy commentator for Channel Nine (pictured) - a job Hadley hopes will soon come to an end](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/10/03/76356733-12612389-Sonny_Bill_works_as_a_footy_commentator_for_Channel_Nine_picture-a-9_1696904364759.jpg)
Sonny Bill works as a footy commentator for Channel Nine (pictured) – a job Hadley hopes will soon come to an end
![The 2GB star was condemning the pro-Palestinian protest at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night (pictured) when he tore into SBW](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/10/03/76358485-12612389-The_2GB_star_was_condemning_the_pro_Palestinian_protest_at_the_S-a-10_1696904364764.jpg)
The 2GB star was condemning the pro-Palestinian protest at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night (pictured) when he tore into SBW
His post has had more than 15,000 likes, but not everyone approves of his stance.
‘Sonny bill you absolute clown of a bloke! Helmet,’ replied one commenter on X.
‘They’re not doing even remotely the same thing though,’ said another.
‘Over 250 bodies at the Music Festival for Peace. And you support that? Ukrainians aren’t attacking civilians. Palestinians are,’ said a third.
Williams, a devout Muslim, has sparked controversy in the past with some of his Tweets, including retweeting divisive social media star Andrew Tate.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on October 9 it had carried out more than 500 strikes on targets across the Gaza Strip overnight.
Palestinian officials said almost 500 people were killed, including 91 children, and over 2,700 were injured.
The death toll is expected to rise significantly.
With no sign of either side losing momentum, Israel declared a ‘complete siege’ on Gaza, ensuring ‘no electricity, no food, no fuel’ for the 2.3mn people living in the Gaza Strip.
The country’s defence minister said earlier today: ‘We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly.’
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