Former Arsenal kit man sues for wrongful dismissal over proPalestine posts

A former Arsenal kit man has launched legal proceedings against the Premier League club after he was fired over comments on social media about Israel, Palestine and the war in Gaza.

Mark Bonnick, 61, worked as a member of the London club's community coaching staff for 22 years and was working as a kit man in Arsenal's academy for youth players at the time of his dismissal last year.

During his time at Arsenal, Bonnick says he worked with current and former stars such as Jack Wilshere, Bukayo Saka, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, and had intended to remain at the club until retirement.

But on 24 December last year, Bonnick was fired from his job, with the club informing him that pro-Palestine posts he had written on social media had brought the club into disrepute.

Since then, Bonnick said he has struggled to find work and is now earning what he can by doing odd jobs. He is currently working as a labourer on a construction site.

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"The whole experience has been devastating," Bonnick told Middle East Eye, standing in front of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in north London.

"But I regret nothing. Despite losing my job this close to retirement, I would still encourage people to speak up. We owe it to Palestinians, and to ourselves as humans, to oppose racism, colonialism and genocide, just like Arsenal did for Black Lives Matter and in solidarity with Ukrainians."

Tribunal case

Bonnick has now filed a case at the Employment Tribunal, accusing Arsenal of unfair dismissal. 

He was initially suspended by Arsenal on 11 December after a supporters club lodged a complaint about alleged antisemitic content on his X account. The complaint cited posts critical of Israeli policies towards Palestinians and the war against Hamas in Gaza. 

'It is outrageous that Arsenal Football Club has chosen to treat a lifelong fan and loyal worker of 22 years with such contempt'

- Tasnima Uddin, ELSC advocacy officer

Two days later, the club began investigating Bonnick. In response to an appeal he subsequently lodged, the club said it had made no determination on whether his posts were antisemitic, but found that the fact they had been reported as such in newspaper headlines meant he had brought the club into disrepute.

Bonnick's initial suspension by the club was covered by newspapers including The Times and The Guardian.

Arsenal also alleged that Bonnick's posts on X, which included phrases such as "ethnic cleansing" and "Jewish supremacy", were "inflammatory and reasonably likely to cause genuine offence to many people".

Bonnick, who has since deleted his X account, said these phrases and the posts he used were taken out of context.

The whole process lasted nine days, which Bonnick has described as "unfair" and "rushed". Although he appealed, the club upheld the decision to dismiss him.

Bonnick's posts included criticising what he described as "ethnic cleansing" taking place in Gaza, as well as comments about former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and the treatment of Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the West Bank.

He also came under fire for a post he made in response to a comment by antisemitism campaigner David Collier, in which Bonnick said: "Yes, it is all about Jewish supremacy and not wanting to share the land - ethnic cleansing."

Bonnick and his lawyers have said the term "Jewish supremacy" is in reference to a "critique of the apartheid system in Israel".

Mainstream critique of Israel

Human rights groups - including B'Tselem in Israel, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - have accused Israel of subjecting Palestinians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to discriminatory policies that amount to a system of apartheid.

"Mark's reference to 'Jewish supremacy' is a mainstream political critique of Israel's self-definition as a Jewish state, which prioritises rights and privileges for Jewish citizens over others," said Franck Magennis, Bonnick's lawyer.

Bonnick is being supported in his case by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), a campaign group which provides legal assistance to groups and individuals advocating for Palestinian rights.

“It is outrageous that Arsenal Football Club has chosen to treat a lifelong fan and loyal worker of 22 years with such contempt, firing him on Christmas Eve simply for expressing solidarity with Palestine," said Tasnima Uddin, an advocacy officer at ELSC.

"This is not only a personal injustice; it is a stain on football and a betrayal of the values fans hold dear. While the global football industry rakes in billions, working-class staff like Mark are punished for speaking out against injustice. 

'I’m deeply disappointed in how my club handled the war in Gaza - stark silence and double standards compared to their swift, vocal stance on Ukraine'

- Ahmed Zakaria, lifelong Arsenal fan

"Mark is committed to opposing Israel's actions in Gaza and its ongoing genocide - something any reasonable and decent football fan can and should support." 

On Sunday, Arsenal supporters from the Red Card for Israel group and Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence group will hold a rally outside the Emirates Stadium to support Bonnick before Arsenal plays Newcastle United in its final home match of the season. 

Ahmed Zakaria is a lifelong Arsenal fan and host of the Egyptian Gooner Podcast. He criticised the club's decision to dismiss Bonnick and described Arsenal's reaction to the war in Gaza as "hypocritical".

“I’m deeply disappointed in how my club handled the war in Gaza - stark silence and double standards compared to their swift, vocal stance on Ukraine," said Zakaria.

"By their own admission, nothing Mark said was antisemitic, and had it been, we would’ve all condemned it. But this is just another chapter in the continuing campaign of silencing pro-Palestinian voices in football and sports in general.”

Arsenal declined to comment when contacted by MEE.

Bonnick's decision to sue Arsenal follows a series of controversies in the football world over Palestine. 

In 2021, Arsenal was embroiled in a row over a social media post by Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny expressing support for Palestinians in Gaza. The club said it would speak to Elneny about “the wider implications” of his post.

The post drew backlash from pro-Israel groups and concern from sponsor Lavazza, which described Elneny's post as "not aligned" with its values.

However, pro-Palestinian supporter groups also criticised the club's handling of the matter after it affirmed players’ rights to express personal views.

Last month, Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club dismissed a director, Salma Mashhour, for her posts on Gaza. The club has since issued an apology for her dismissal, which came just three days after her appointment.

Similarly, German club Mainz fired Dutch-Moroccan striker Anwar El Ghazi after he posted the phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" on his Instagram account. 

Mainz subsequently terminated his contract, which led Ghazi to sue the club. A German court ordered Mainz to pay the player 1.5m euros ($1.7m) in compensation.

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