Arsenal fired me on Christmas Eve for opposing Israel | Mark Bonnick

About this episode

Mark Bonnick discusses his firing from Arsenal over his criticism of Israel and the subsequent legal battle.

‘I regret losing my job. Not what I said’ Mark Bonnick worked at Arsenal for 22 years. Then on Christmas Eve 2024, the former kitman was fired over posts he made on X criticising Israel over the genocide in Gaza. Arsenal accused him of bringing the club into disrepute. The case was quickly framed by media outlets as one of antisemitism. But reports later revealed that the Football Association told Arsenal his posts had not breached any of the governing body's rules. Mark is now suing Arsenal for unfair dismissal. In this conversation on Real Talk, he sits down with Mohamed Hashem outside the Emirates Stadium, as Arsenal prepare for the Champions League Final, to tell his story for the first time.

People in this episode

Host: Mohamed Hashem

Guest: Mark Bonnick

Topics covered

• employment
• freedom of speech
• antisemitism
• sports
• legal issues
• personal story

Keywords

• Arsenal
• Mark Bonnick
• Israel
• Gaza
• unfair dismissal
• antisemitism
• Champions League

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Arsenal, Football Association

Places: Israel, Gaza

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