David Beckham is clearly a very complex man, or at least a very complex set of overlapping brand identities. A few months back Beckham addressed a rapt audience at a St John’s Wood synagogue about the foundational importance of Judaism in his life. “I am part of the Jewish community,” Beckham announced, going on to talk about eating chicken soup and wearing a kippah at family functions.
Every aspect of Beckham’s public image is minutely managed. Identity is very important to public figures. This part of him seems to be something he wants to project to the world. With this in mind, and in view of the horrendous events of the past week, Beckham will perhaps feel some kind of logical contradiction in the fact he, like Hamas, is the beneficiary of Qatari money.
