Former Arsenal kit-man sues club for wrongful sacking after being sacked for making anti-israel comments on social media.
Former Arsenal kit man sues Arsenal after being sacked for anti-Israel comments.
Working at the club during the early 2000s, Mark Bonnick claims his termination was “discriminatory” because it was motivated by his “philosophical anti-Zionist belief.”
After Arsenal became aware of a string of social media remarks Bonnick had made about Israel’s war in Gaza, he was suspended and later fired in December 2024. According to Bonnick, his posts were driven by valid anti-Zionist sentiments rather than being antisemitic.
In his legal submission, Bonnick refers to five replies on X in November and December last year, including: “Yes it is all about Jewish supremacy & not wanting to share the land Ethnic cleansing”; “Why should they be protected anymore than any other community? Some see this as the problem Jewish communities thinking they should be put before others”; “What about the Jews that attack Christians?”
Bonnick’s posts also said “Hamas offered to release all hostages in October. Zionist Israel refused. Persecution complex”; and on that offer he also posted: “You abandoned them … Refused to bring them home … Your silence was deafening … Now you want others to scream … Morals integrity honesty none … Mark of Cain.”
In an interview with the Guardian, Bonnick stated that he was pursuing the legal action to repair his reputation, which he claims has been damaged by accusations of antisemitism. Arsenal’s investigation of the posts, according to Bonnick’s statement, found that they could be “perceived as inflammatory or offensive” and had “brought the club into disrepute,” but it did not accuse him of antisemitism. Bonnick is requesting reinstatement and damages.
Bonnick said: “I want them to acknowledge what they’ve done to me is wrong and that they should not have sacked me. I believe in standing up for what’s right, especially when you see injustice, and I feel strongly against what Israel is doing in Gaza.
“I’ve tweeted on various issues, including football, Brexit, racism, knife crime and politics. It only became a problem when I tweeted about Israel, which led to a pile-on online and people contacting the club.”