The former kit manager at Arsenal, who was sacked for posting anti-Israel comments on social media, is suing the club for unfair dismissal.
Mark Bonnick, 61, who worked at the club for over two decades, alleged his dismissal was “discriminatory” because it was based on his “philosophical anti-Zionist belief”.
After Arsenal was alerted to a catalogue of Bonnick’s social media activity about the Israel-Gaza war in December 2024, the club launched an investigation before sacking him.
In his legal submission, Bonnick cites five posts on X from November and December last year, including one from November 24 which said: “Yes it is all about Jewish supremacy & not wanting to share the land. Ethnic cleansing.”
Another from December 7 said: “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.”
“Hamas offered to release all hostages in October. Zionist Israel refused. Persecution complex,” a third tweet, from December 4, read.
“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,” read another post, from December 1.
Bonnick said his reference to “Mark of Cain” was a quote from a statement made by Yoav Gallant, Israel’s then defence minister, the previous month.
Speaking to The Guardian, Bonnick said his reputation had been impacted by allegations of antisemitism, and that was why he was taking legal action.
He is seeking damages and reinstatement to his old position.
The case was been lodged at Watford Employment Tribunal and is expected to be heard next year.
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.”
According to the former kitman’s submission, Arsenal’s investigation into his social media activity did not accuse him of antisemitism. But, Arsenal said the posts could be “perceived as inflammatory or offensive” and had “brought the club into disrepute”.
Bonnick argues that his posts were not antisemitic but motivated by his anti-Zionist philosophy.
His lawyer, Franck Magennis, who is being instructed by the European Legal Support Centre, said: “Mark Bonnick was right to speak out, in accordance with his deeply held anti-Zionist beliefs, against Israel’s nakedly racist violence and the colonial ideology that justifies it.”
Magennis is also part of the legal team seeking to reverse the UK’s proscription of Hamas as a terrorist organisation and has been vocal in his condemnation of Zionism in media interviews.
After being sacked on December 24, Bonnick lost his appeal against the decision on February 14.
According to Bonnick’s submission, one of Arsenal’s representatives told him after the investigation: “The comments you made on ‘X’ could be perceived as inflammatory or offensive. And as a result, your posts on ‘X’ brought the club into disrepute.
"This breached the terms of your employment contract and the club’s social media policy, which explicitly states that social media must not be used in a way that brings the club into disrepute.
“While we recognise the comments were made from your personal ‘X’ account, the account was set to ‘public’, and in your own name and it was clearly possible to identify you as an employee of the club.
"Engaging in online debate on such controversial topic and making comments that were found to be highly offensive and inflammatory, displayed a complete lack of judgment and disregard for the club’s policies and values.”
Arsenal was contacted for comment.
